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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's my pick of the five best posts from this week's business blogs. I'm pointing you to posts on Generation Dumb, listening to customers, how we terminate employees, what makes a great company, and why leadership will never be a science.

Kevin Eikenberry's Best of the Leaderships Blogs Contest is off and running. Stop by and vote for your favorite. But hurry, voting closes at the end of the month.

In addition to blogging here about leadership issues, I'm now blogging at Momentor on career issues. There will be a post similar to this one but on career issues over there every week.

From Rowan Manahan at Fortify Your Oasis: Generation Dumb?
"When I came across Emory Professor, Mark Bauerlein's analysis of his despair when it comes to the young people of today, I smiled a rueful smile. Bauerlein's book, The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future is very worrying indeed. It seems there are eight reasons why you can't rely on anyone under the age of 30."

Wally's Comment: Rowan does a great job of summarizing Bauerlein's message. But the real value in this post is Rowan's response.

From Michael Wade at Execupundit: That's Not What We Do
"You walk into a restaurant that serves sandwiches and hamburgers and tell the counter staff, "I notice that your business is a little slow right now. How about making me a pizza or grilling some chicken?" They will say no. Many businesses in other disciplines, however, rush for the ingredients."

Wally's Comment: Tough times demand common sense. This post drips with it.

From Lisa at HR Thoughts: Lead. That is All I Ask.
"You can tell a lot about a society by the way they take care of their children. You can tell a lot about an organization by the way they terminate their employees."

Wally's Comment: This post isn't only about termination. It's about the importance of talking to your people.

From Jim Champy at Management Craft: Where are the great companies?
"Although I could find no single formula for what creates a good – or great – company, I did find some shared characteristics."

Wally's Comment: Jim Champy writes this guest post on Lisa Haneberg's blog and does a fine job of describing what he thinks distinguish great companies.

From Carmine Coyote at Slow Leadership: Don’t be Fooled: Leadership is NOT a Science
"Despite all the books, articles and other media folk trying to prove otherwise, leadership is not a science. There are no ‘laws’ that apply in every circumstance — or even most of them. There are no approaches to leadership that will always be successful, and none that will always fail. "

Wally's Comment: Carmine Coyote does a superb and well-reasoned job of showing us how the "physics-envy" of social science makes what we know about leadership seem more sure and universal than it can ever be.

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.