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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 recession-inspired civility, uncompromising leadership, leadership as a team sport, Tim Ferriss' view of CEO productivity, and a special report on managing in a downturn.

From the Economist: Manners maketh the businessman
"Rudeness is out, and civility is the new rule in an uncertain world. The former kings of abrasive behaviour—Masters of the Universe bankers, hedge-fund traders, private-equity chiefs—have been humbled. On Wall Street, says a banker, “it’s now all about charm and openness and taking time with people.” Cocky young things straight out of the best business schools have stopped skipping interview appointments, recruiters say, and there is much less looking over people’s shoulders at drinks parties, reports one veteran. Many people, fearful for their jobs, are trying to burnish their contacts at other firms."

Wally's Comment: Who says nothing good has come out of the downturn?

From HBS Working Knowledge: Uncompromising Leadership in Tough Times
"Economic difficulties need not mean that we lower our standards for leadership. If anything, we should raise our sights."

Wally's Comment: Harvard professor Michael Beer has researched the CEOs of what he calls "resilient organizations." It turns out that they really value their employees. 

From INSEAD: Putting leaders on the couch
"Rather than coach on a one-to-one basis, Kets de Vries says he prefers group coaching or intervention as he sees leadership as a team sport.'Leadership style in Russia is very different from the leadership styles in Sweden or Singapore. They’re different things but it’s usually a team sport and I think the only important thing is to look at complementarity (of the different roles within a team).'"

Wally's Comment: Kets de Vries lays out why it's important to understand leaders both as individuals and as part of a particular leadership team.

From Inc: The Secrets of Super-Productive CEOs
"In 2001, a recent Princeton graduate named Timothy Ferriss started a little company that sold vitamins on the Internet. Things went well, but instead of trying to expand, Ferriss decided to work less, not more. He traveled incessantly and limited himself to just an hour of e-mail a week. He competed in the Tango World Championships in Argentina, he learned break dancing in Berlin, and he tackled juijitsu in Rio de Janeiro. Amazingly, his company did better than ever, which gave Ferriss the idea for a book proposal. Since its publication in 2007, The 4-Hour Workweek has become a bestseller and a cult favorite among entrepreneurs, a group not known for their relaxation skills. In the spirit of our January/February cover story--about online dating pioneer Markus Frind, who works just 10 hours a week--Inc.'s Max Chafkin asked Ferriss to tell us the secret of making money while playing hard."

Wally's Comment: Ferriss' book started out as a classic among, the "make-your-millions-by-Tuesday-without-effort" school of success seekers. It's stayed on the best seller lists because it's chock-full of productivity ideas that anyone can use. I think of it as a kind of cafeteria of productivity hacks. I've also found that Ferriss has a gift for challenging conventional thinking while making sense. All of that is in this interview.

From the Financial Times: Managing in a downturn
"New thinking on how to do business"

Wally's Comment: A Financial Times special report with ideas and examples that can help you manage with more impact.

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.