LeadershipIQ says the four types of culture are

1. Hierarchical–built on tradition, rely on clearly defined roles
2. Dependable–focus on process, slow to change
3. Enterprising–value creativity, competition and meritocracy
4. Social–emphasize collaboration, trust and relationships

Which one do employees prefer? Not the one LeadershipIQ expected, as it turns out. The firm thought employees would favor a social company, but instead, they’re most engaged in an enterprising culture.

Understanding the type of culture you’re joining is important for any employee’s satisfaction, and it’s especially important for a new CEO. Otherwise, the leader is working at cross-purposes with the rest of the company. How good is the match between you and your company’s culture?

• lower employee turnover
• higher revenue
• profitability, and
• shareholder returns

The Wall Street Journal reported these findings of recent research and, even more importantly, went on to explain the behavior that engenders a high level of trust. Essentially, managers whose employees and shareholders trust them  are skilled communicators. (No surprises there; many top management gurus agree that communication is the key skill required to be a great leadership.)

Specifically, here’s what high-trust managers communicate skillfully: 1) They make it clear that shareholders share the company’s interests, 2)  They show concerns for others, demonstrating that they will do what’s right despite the consequences, 3) They deliver on their promises, clearly exhibiting competence in doing so, 4) They “walk their talk,” demonstrating integrity and taking responsibility for any mistakes.

As The Journal’s article concludes, “The ability to align interests, show benevolence, accurately communicate one’s capabilities, and practice what one preaches all require strong communication skills.”

Epsilon’s report, “The Formula for Success: Preference and Trust,” says consumers would rather receive brand or product information via direct mail rather than email. That preference for marketing communication is true for almost every category, including financial services (36% to 8%), insurance (36% to 9%) and travel (21% to 13%).

Can you believe that paper still rules? Is that true for you? What’s been your experience?

Written by Karen Dietz, a colleague of mine based in San Diego, the article is based on an interview she conducted “years ago” when working for a national magazine. Describing Buffett’s diverse talents as visionary, businessman and airplane pilot, she elaborates on his top criteria for developing good stories:

1. Spend most of your time listening to others
2. Take time to develop interesting characters
3. Remember that the objective is to paint pictures with your words
4. Have fun!

In summary, Dietz says corporate storytelling can be challenging, but it’s easier if you follow Buffett’s advice. She says “the last piece of advice that Jimmy gave me…(was, ‘No matter what you do, just don’t forget to have fun with it. If you aren’t having fun, it makes for really long, boring days. And no one needs that.’ ”

The entire article is at http://tinyurl.com/77s5usb

After admiring–and owning–a number of Eileen Fisher garments over the past 25 years or so, I was intrigued by an interview with her in Fortune describing how she got her start. As the article reveals, she actually developed sewing skills and a love of fabric while growing up in a household where her mother sewed much of the clothing for her six daughters. And when Fisher no longer needed to wear a uniform to school, she hated shopping because she couldn’t find what she wanted, and she found it very  time-consuming to decide what to wear each day. It seemed to her that finding, selecting and wearing well-coordinated outfits each day should be simpler.

The influence of a college roommate’s coursework in interior design led Fisher to realize she, too, loved working with fabric. She changed her major to home economics, then took the opportunity to move to New York’s Soho with a roommate, and struck up a friendship with a sculptor. Surrounded by creative minds and influenced by observations on a trip to Japan, she eventually formulated her vision for a fashion collection based on–no surprise here–the concept of simplicity!

Her first collection of four garments were displayed at a show in 1984 where she sold orders to eight stores. At the next show a year later she had doubled her collection to eight garments and had a line of buyers waiting to place orders. She was on her way!

“Keep it simple” is a mantra we all need to remember as we go through daily activities. Simplicity is the key to communications, the basis for many wonderful culinary creations, and the key to achieving work/life balance. What ideas do you have for simplifying life? How can you make your job a bit easier, or help other people simplify their lives? Who knows? You just may launch a new career!

As the company’s ships lay partly submerged in a gut-wrenching position, divers carefully and heroically began the somber and dangerous task of searching for and recovering victims, and salvage operators pondered the best approach to safely recover the fuel and either right the ship or begin cutting in apart in place.

In the meantime, the ship’s captain and the CEO of Carnival’s Italian unit continued pointing fingers at one another, both shifting responsibility for the disastrous route the ship followed. All the while, Micky Arison, CEO of Carnival Corp., spoke nary a word about the tragedy, not even to offer condolences to passengers who survived the frightening, chaotic event, nor to those who lost loved ones, many of whom are still unaccounted for nearly two weeks later.

Owner of Carnival Cruise and a number of other well-known cruise lines, such as Holland America, Princess Cruises and Cunard, Carnival Corp. should have a well-thought-out, detailed crisis communication management plan at the ready, and it should be readily available to the captain on every ship.

Overall, cruises have proven to be an extremely safe form of transportation, particularly considering the huge number of passengers carried each year without a mishap. But no organization should be without a plan for handling unexpected events. To think  company doesn’t need an up-to-date action plan to quickly and effectively handle crises is at best ill-advised. When thousands of customers’ lives and limbs are at risk, it’s extremely careless, which is also an apt description of Mickey Arison’s behavior.

The WSJ’s story is at tinyurl.com/7mb2vwb

According to Myers, half the workers in the U.S. are disengaged because they don’t feel valued or supported. She says that to better manage today’s workforce, a leader needs to adopt these three essential behaviors:

1. Become more conscious of people’s needs and how the leader interacts with employees
2. Ask questions to collaborate with employees rather than expecting to have all the answers, as many leaders think they must
3. Be aware that a leader creates feelings, either positive or negative

In an interview with ABC News, Myers points out that when employees “feel valued, supported, encouraged, acknowledged, and clear about what their job is,” they’re happy with their work. She says “we need to work together so everyone can win!”

Watch her interview on ABC News at http://tinyurl.com/3bmbnoy

Thousands of executives, top-flight sales leaders and savvy marketers have learned—with Evelyn Clark’s help—how to identify, create and deliver messages that stick in audiences’ minds. An author, workshop/retreat leader and keynoter, she is a recognized expert and pioneer in organizational storytelling. Learn about her Corporate Storytelling® system and services, or buy her book, at www.corpstory.com.

Information Week writer Robert Strohmeyer reported earlier this year that author Carmine Gallo, who followed Jobs’ career closely over the years and wrote two well-received books about him, identified the five key lessons to be learned Jobs’ succession planning:

1. Focus on the customer, client, and user experience, above everything else
2. Ensure that the culture of the company is held up as a higher value than a particular person’s leadership so that everyone realizes the company can succeed without certain individuals
3. Control the core message and exemplify it (walk your talk)
4. Be proactive about turning over the reins gradually so that people become accustomed to the new CEO before it’s time to leave
5. Select your successor by evaluating the person’s ability to do the job rather than assessing whether the personality is similar to yours

What do you think is most important to remember when preparing to step down from a leadership role? Please offer your thoughts, ideally based on your experience.

Thousands of executives, top-flight sales leaders and savvy marketers have learned—with Evelyn Clark’s help—how to identify, create and deliver messages that stick in audiences’ minds. An author, workshop/retreat leader and keynoter, she is a recognized expert and pioneer in organizational storytelling. Learn about her Corporate Storytelling® system and services, or buy her book, at www.corpstory.com.

The five values that differentiate NETAPP from other organizations are:

• attitude is contagious, i.e., a positive outlook generates good energy
• candor is encouraged so that honesty is maintained
• a positive approach attracts followers, e.g. recognizing individual successes within the company is more important than focusing on competitors
• leaders should appreciate employees’ work and inspire them rather than simply manage operations
• openness to change is essential in today’s ever-changing, innovative world

What are the core values of your organization? Is everyone familiar with them? And especially: Is everyone aware of the importance of conducting business accordingly?

As reported in the “Academy of Management Perspectives,” researchers have identified the area of the brain that helps form “socialized visionary communication,” which in turn helps followers to perceive a leader as inspirational or charismatic. What do you think about this? Is it reassuring to think that a person’s wiring can be manipulated this way? Or a bit frightening to realize how close we’re getting to the sci-fi scenarios described in Brave New World?