Executives Prefer In-Person Meetings to Virtual

Despite the rise in virtual meetings, business executives prefer face-to-face meetings, according to the results of a Forbes Insights study released Thursday.

The study, “Business Meetings: The Case for Face-to-Face,” was based on June survey of 760 business executives. It found that 84% prefer in-person contact to virtual because face-to-face meetings enable them to build stronger relationships (85%) and provide greater opportunity to “read” another person (77%).

Nonetheless, teleconferences, videoconferences and Web conferences have grown as 58% of respondents said they were traveling less for business now than in January 2008.

Those that preferred virtual meetings cited the time savings (92%) and the financial savings (88%).

What Made Jack Welch Extraordinary

Stephen Baum's book "What Made Jack Welch, How Ordinary People Become Extraordinary Leaders" truly articulated what all the gurus in leadership, Harvard, and Michigan have been trying to say for years. But he breaks it down into simple language and how to apply the skills in ordinary business roles. According to Baum, there are core leadership traits and, said Baum, "the possessors of these traits are generally the most effective and the most successful people in any organization". My question to each HR professional today is DO YOU HAVE THESE QUALITIES and DO YOU EXERT THEM IN YOUR ROLE IN BUSINESS TODAY? So, here are the five (5) traits:

1. do you have the appetite to take charge?
2. do you have character? - meaning doing the right thing when no one is there to see as well as when your actions are visible or will be revealed to the world at large
3. do you have the confidence to see challenges and embrace risk?
4. do you have the capacity to act? - key to this is do you possess the ability to act despite risks and have the emotional readiness to act despite any risks involved but also exhibit critical thinking to act wisely
5. do you have the ability to engage and inspire?

He goes on to say that there are shaping experiences you will incur along your HR journey up the ladder and by the way if you are there today staying there.

If you have these you have the ability to become a Jack Welch in your industry at the HR level or greater. What are your thoughts on Baum's assessment of leadership traits, let me know.