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The Working Supervisor's Support Kit is a collection of information and tools to help working supervisors do a better job. It's based on what Wally's learned in over twenty years of supervisory skills training.

For weekly tips and resources pointers, check Wally's Three Star Leadership Letter

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Here are five choice articles from the business press to start off your workweek. I'm pointing you to articles about leading innovation from the middle, learning from the dabbawala, prediction markets, a social networking primer, and outsourcing that didn’t work.

Last week's newsletter was "From stage to screen." As usual there were pointers to Web and Reading Resources, too.

From the Wall Street Journal: In Search of Growth Leaders
"Indeed, powerful catalysts for organic growth often exist deep within an organization, hidden and untapped. We're talking about a special breed of midlevel managers -- men and women who possess the vision, leadership and entrepreneurial talents that together make up what we refer to as a growth leader. Growth leaders produce above-average organic growth in mature organizations and markets and create better value for customers. They achieve this often despite corporate oversight as much as because of it. While some individuals figure out how to crack the growth code on their own, senior executives have more to learn about how to recognize and encourage such managers. Our research has focused on understanding the role of midlevel managers in achieving organic growth."

Wally's Comment: This is a great article that tackles an unasked question: "How do you lead innovation if you're not the boss or a brilliant-but-tolerated genius?"

From the Economist: The cult of the dabbawala
"The direct descendants of his Malva-caste soldiers are also developing a reputation for organizational excellence. Using an elaborate system of color-coded boxes to convey over 170,000 meals to their destinations each day, the 5,000-strong dabbawala collective has built up an extraordinary reputation for the speed and accuracy of its deliveries. Word of their legendary efficiency and almost flawless logistics is now spreading through the rarefied world of management consulting. Impressed by the dabbawalas’ “six-sigma” certified error rate—reportedly on the order of one mistake per 6m deliveries—management gurus and bosses are queuing up to find out how they do it. "

Wally's Comment: We love technology, but we tend to think of it as computers and things with wires and power sources. But Peter Drucker defined "technology" as "the application of knowledge to useful work." That's the technology and the mindset that this article is about.

From Bloomberg: Google Gets Answers as Staff Bets on GMail, `Star Wars' Success
"The day after a company's stock rises, employees are more optimistic about the projects they're working on. You can bet on it. And at Google Inc., they do. "

Wally's Comment: This is a great article about prediction markets and how some companies are using them.

From Entrepreneur: Work the social networking scene to get the most out of your online presence.
"If you've jumped on the social networking bandwagon and are wondering "Is this all there is?" don't give up just yet. It's not so much about what you can get out of social networks today but what you can gain tomorrow-- when they become personalized. If you've ignored the social networking trend up until now, consider this handy list your set of training wheels."

Wally's Comment: Michael Polanyi told us that we don't really know something until we can apply it to produce a result. Now that you've read those articles about social networking, it's time to try out what you've learned.

From Reuters: "Made in China" proves false economy for some
"Chasing lower costs, Steiff outsourced around a fifth of its production to China in 2003 but has now decided to come back because of concerns about quality and staff turnover."

Wally's Comment: Outsourcing and its savings can be seductive. But there's more to a successful outsourcing arrangement than production cost savings.

Wally's Working Supervisor's Support Kit is a collection of information and tools to help working supervisors do a better job. It's based on what Wally's learned in over twenty years of supervisory skills training. Click here to check it out.

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Wally Bock has helped people learn to be great bosses for more than a quarter century. His latest book, Performance Talk: The One-on-One Part of Leadership, makes learning key leadership principles almost effortless by teaching through a story and providing lists of resources for further growth.

Click here to find out more about Wally's coaching services.

For weekly tips and resources pointers, check our Wally Bock's Three Star Leadership Letter.

Click here to find out more about having Wally speak to your company or convention.