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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.

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Independent business blogs are blogs that aren't supported by an organization like a magazine, newspaper, company, or business school. Those people provide lots of great content, but they don't need any additional exposure. In this post, every week, I bring you posts of quality from excellent bloggers that don't get as much publicity.

This week, I'm pointing you to posts on charisma, the "sweet spot," 21st Century leadership, merit pay, and how systems can help people do better.

From Terry Starbucker: Can Charisma Be Taught? The 90% Theory And Why That Can Be Enough
"You notice them the minute they enter a room.  That aura, that confidence, that vibe. All eyes will find them. And they will attract a crowd. When they appear on stage or in a meeting, the electricity is palpable.  The listeners hang on every word, and delight in the wit and candor they display. Who are these people?  The charismatic leaders."

Wally's Comment: Terry Starbucker notes that some leaders just seem to have charisma, but he suggests that the rest of us can learn a lot of what makes it so. For background, check my post: "Is charisma good for business? Is it good for you?"

From Leadership Freak: Finding the Sweet Spot
"During a recent conversation with a high-potential, I listed three organizational opportunities. I began with the one I most wanted done. After briefly explaining the opportunities, I asked if he connected with any. I was hoping he’d jump on the opportunity that most excited me."

Wally's Comment: This is a great post and great comments that center on a challenge for every boss. You want your team members to work on tasks or projects that they're passionate about. And you want to make sure that you accomplish your team's mission. The challenge is doing those at the same time.

From 21st Century Business: Is 21st-Century Leadership Inevitable, or Just a Fad?
"Are you ready for some heresy against my own heresy? Many leaders will continue in their old ways, and some of their companies will continue to prosper. While I'd like it to be otherwise, here's why eddies of the old ways will remain, in some pockets probably forever."

Wally's Comment: Too many people who are writing about leadership for the 21st Century imagine a world where, suddenly, everything everywhere will be changed. Ted Coine does not labor under that delusion. In this cogent post, he explains why not everyone will climb on the bandwagon why some who do will take a while.

From Compensation Cafe: Why Merit Pay for Teachers Doesn't Work... And Why We Shouldn't Stop Trying
"A few months ago, my Cafe colleague Jim Brennan wrote a post on The Merits of Merit Pay for Teachers.  Beyond his observation that there seem to be few people with substantive experience in performance pay involved in the debate, Jim also identified some of the conditions generally seen by experts as necessary for the success of any pay for performance effort; he identifies nine of them for starters.  These conditions are, as Jim notes, challenging to meet even in private industry where management has total control.  They are monumentally more difficult in the typical public school setting. Without the right environment to support teacher merit pay, Jim concluded, it cannot succeed. Hot on the heels of Jim's post came the release of this study (also described in this USA Today article) from Vanderbilt University; the "first scientifically rigorous test" of merit pay for teachers, confirming exactly Jim's conclusion.  The study found that offering middle school teachers bonuses up to $15,000 did not produce gains in student test scores. Unfortunately, though, it would seem that the researchers overlooked Jim's most important point. It's the system, stupid."

Wally's Comment: You may look at this post and think it's about merit pay for teachers and therefore there's nothing here for business. If you do that you'll miss some excellent points about pay for performance, the necessary conditions, and the importance of the system that helps or hinders those to be paid. Ann Bares links to Jim Brennan's post, "The Merits of Merit Pay for Teachers." I recommend reading the two posts in the order they were written. Jim's first, then Ann's.

From Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog: Create a System That Lets People Take Pride in Their Work
"I believe I learned this from Peter Scholtes, though maybe I am remembering it wrong or explaining it wrong (so give him the credit and if I mess it up it is my fault). I believe there is a problem with using the term empowered. Using the term implies that it one person empowers another person. This is not the correct view. Instead we each play a role within a system. Yes there are constraints on your actions based on the role you are playing. Does a security guard empower the CEO to enter the building?"

Wally's Comment: As Jim Brennan noted in his post, trying to fix compensation without paying attention to the whole system almost guarantees failure. On the other hand, effective systems make people capable of producing great results, as I noted in my post, "Put your trust in systems, not in genius." In this post, John Hunter looks at the way that human nature and systems should work together.

That's it for this week's selections from independent business blogs. If you liked this piece you may enjoy my regular post on "Leadership Reading to Start Your Week" which features five choice articles from the business schools, the business press and major consulting firms. The last issue had pointers to articles about a complex environment, developing a "habitat" for high tech innovation, when introverts may be the best managers, ethics and tough choices, and transformational leadership and personal values.

Here, on Three Star Leadership, I post things that will help a boss at any level do better and live a better life. At Results vs. Activities, I join other bloggers with posts on talent development. My blog at the Toolbox for HR is People and the Changing Workplace.

Find out more about my latest book, Ruthless Focus: How to use key core strategies to grow your business or just jump right over to Amazon and buy a few.

And be sure to check out Weekly Leader where I'll try to get you thinking about The Question of the Week.

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.