The most common political decisions are around resources (who gets them) and hiring and promotions (who gets in and goes up).

Should CEOs align their leadership style to match the firm’s culture?

MLK was many things: minister, activist, civil rights leader, speaker extraordinaire, and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. But few would see him as a great model for business leaders.

Some leaders appear to get things done effortlessly where others struggle to make progress. Often the secret is the strong relationships the leader has built.

Many leaders will tell you a large part of their job is helping employees overcome resistance to change. We often think of leaders as the instigators of change and employees as the obstacles. Yet few leaders realize how they subtly resist and block needed changes.

Critical thinking is the ability to use intelligence, knowledge and skills to question and carefully explore situations and arrive at thoughtful conclusions based on evidence and reason.

Leadership is like singing — some can be born with the natural ability, but most need to work on it in order to become great. When Maddie Hayes thinks of a great leader, it's someone that stands out from the crowd and makes decisions for the better of everyone else instead of just themselves.

As business environments change with new technologies, new competitors and new consumer preferences, many previously successful businesses falter.

Everybody needs feedback to learn and grow. Yet how many employees can say they get the feedback necessary to perform well at work and develop their skills for the future? Research indicates that it’s not anywhere near enough.

John Lincoln of Lincoln Electric believed his role as a leader was to create an environment where his employees would be encouraged to discover new ways for the company to improve and to bring those suggestions forward for his consideration.