Cynical leaders can bring a team down

Cynical leaders can bring a team down | Power posing's champion comes under attack | Volkswagen attempts a comeback Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( October 26, 2017 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Google+]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [FORWARD]( [] Leading Edge [] [Cynical leaders can bring a team down]( Cynicism is not the same as being skeptical or pessimistic, and it is a quality that serves leaders poorly, writes Susan Fowler. "Cynicism is not a natural human condition but a learned belief that could be the basis for a set of programmed, or unexplored, values," she argues. [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (10/25) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( [] [Power posing's champion comes under attack]( Power posing's champion comes under attack Cuddy (John Medina/Getty Images) Social psychologist Amy Cuddy became known for her study of power posing and how body language can have positive effects in the workplace, with her 2012 TED talk leading to fame, writes Susan Dominus. But Cuddy and other social psychologists have seen their work come under scientific criticism in recent years, with Cuddy also facing a backlash that feels as personal as it does about her work. [The New York Times (free-article access for SmartBrief readers)]( (10/18), [The Washington Post (tiered subscription model)]( (10/23) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( Learn or Die: Using Science to Build a Leading-Edge Learning Organization In a fast-paced, highly competitive environment, does your organization have what it takes to stay at the top? In any industry, the key to staying relevant is continuous learning and the ability to adapt. So how do you improve the way people learn? [Download a book summary]( to tap into the science behind learning outcomes. ADVERTISEMENT [] Strategic Management [] [Volkswagen attempts a comeback]( Volkswagen continues to try to recover from its emissions-testing scandal that led to billions of dollars in fines and criminal charges against executives. Jack Ewing, who's written a book about the scandal, argues it might be impossible for the company to win back customers who bought into its now-discredited "clean diesel" marketing. [Knowledge@Wharton]( (10/23) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( WEBINAR: The FBI Talks Safe Travel – Register Now It's a big, beautiful world, travel confidently with help from the FBI brought to you by the ADT Custom Home team. You'll get an all access pass to hear real-world tips that could save your life from a Sr. FBI Agent + advice to help you stay connected to your home using today's smart home technology. [Register now](. ADVERTISEMENT [] Smarter Communication [] [How to get feedback from your peers]( Feedback from peers can be the most useful of all, but getting it can seem daunting, as this group can include some of your toughest competitors. By offering your own feedback, asking specific questions and making it more about the team than it is about you, you can solicit the advice you need. [Let's Grow Leaders]( (10/24) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( [] [How to properly empathize]( Empathy is a delicate objective, as you can inadvertently redirect from the other person's story, pretend to understand how they feel or be superficially positive, writes Sabina Nawaz. "What you think might be helpful if you were in that situation might not be what's helpful for him: everyone has their own needs," Nawaz writes. [Forbes]( (10/23) [] The Big Picture Each Thursday, what's next for work and the economy [] [At Boxed, robots haven't meant the end of work]( The example of Boxed, which opened an automated warehouse this year without cutting human jobs, suggests the potential for automation in e-commerce to be positive for employment. "When people shop online, tasks that once filled their days -- driving to a store, searching through aisles for a product, bringing it to a cashier and paying for it -- are now done by warehouse employees and truck drivers," Christopher Rugaber writes. [South Florida Times (Fort Lauderdale)/The Associated Press]( (10/24) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( [] In Their Own Words [] [How the international Red Cross manages 17,000 employees]( The International Committee of the Red Cross has 17,000 employees across the globe, some in war zones, each with their own needs and stressors. Being such a big organization means giving field workers autonomy while also having "management capacities, top-down decisions, discipline, and effective and efficient organization, which doesn't come from the bottom up," says President Peter Maurer. [Fast Company online]( (10/25) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( [] SmartBrief At The Event [] [Execs: Finance employees will need new skills as fintech advances]( The positions of financial adviser and portfolio manager will not cease to exist as financial technology creates more automation, which will allow advisers to focus on the issues most valuable to their clients, Adam Broun of Kensho said at SIFMA's Annual Meeting on Tuesday. Executives, however, encouraged professionals to learn cross-disciplinary skills. [SmartBrief/Finance]( (10/24) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [Sunken ship reveals centuries-old astrolabe]( More than 500 years after the sinking of the Esmeralda, a Portuguese explorer ship, an expedition has recovered from the wreckage an astrolabe, a tool used to keep track of time by using the position of the sun and stars. The astrolabe is the oldest of the more than 100 known to exist today. [BBC]( (10/24), [National Public Radio]( (10/24) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( [] [] Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved. William Jennings Bryan, political leader and orator [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( [Sign Up]( [SmartBrief offers 200+ newsletters]( [Advertise]( [Learn more about the SmartBrief audience]( Subscriber Tools: [Manage Subscriptions]( [Update Your Profile]( [Unsubscribe]( [Send Feedback]( [Archive]( [Search]( Contact Us: Jobs Contact - jobhelp@smartbrief.com Advertising - [Laura Engel](mailto:lengel@smartbrief.com) Editor - [James daSilva](mailto:leadership@smartbrief.com) Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004 © 1999-2017 SmartBrief, Inc.® [Privacy policy]( | [Legal Information]( Â