Whether you run a sales department or a crime syndicate, you’ll eventually have to tackle the same Machiavellian question: Is it better to be loved or feared? Model your managerial style after, say, the firebrand former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and you’ll achieve obedience through fear, but you won’t have your followers’ loyalty. But if …

The internet is ablaze with life hacks, productivity tools and successful habits. For the most part, those patterns—and the people they’re modeled after—are helpful. And yet, we all seem to have imperfections that just won’t budge. Although successful habits are all the rage, that list of to-do’s and to-don’ts is overwhelming. Worse, focusing too heavily …

1. They don’t waste time feeling sorry for themselves. You can’t moan and lead at the same time. That’s why I crafted my 24-hour rule: When life treats me rotten, I indulge in 24 hours of self-pity. I complain. I mope. I drive my poor wife, Margaret, and my inner circle nuts. But then I …

Every manager’s been there before. One moment, your team is happy, performance is high, and your budget numbers feel almost too good to be true. For once, you feel like a corporate Tom Brady, leading an unstoppable, well-oiled machine down the field. But then your star performer comes into your office when you least expect …

A TAILORED JACKET WITH INTERESTING DETAILS A clean-cut black blazer blends into the background, but a true boss knows she needs to stand out from the crowd. Look for noteworthy features like a velvet lapel, exaggerated buttons, a colorful collar or well-placed zippers. And of course make sure that baby is tailored to perfection. A …