Every day I hear the terms “manager” and “leader” used interchangeably. However, when you really start to explore what it means to be a leader, you will find that there are distinct and important differences between the two titles. While a manager can be a leader, the two terms are not mutually exclusive.

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with our founder, President and CEO of Helios HR, Kathy Albarado to pick her brain on leadership. As Kathy’s passion is working with enlightened leaders to build a culture that attracts, retains and engages exceptional people, I wanted to find out what leadership means to her and how she believes others can become great leaders. Read the full interview below!

Guest Post By Kimberly Gladis of Steve Gladis Leadership Partners

Have you ever considered an Up or Out personnel policy? While traditionally used in the military and academics, I recently had a client shift their career development approach to an Up or Out policy in order to attract, retain, and motivate high performing individuals.

I love fall. The crisp, cool air reminds me of walking to basketball practice in sweatpants and a hoodie, and I get excited! At the time I was just having fun, but looking back I realize how much I learned from sports that can be translated into life and into business. Coaching is one of those things.

With the recent tragic events at the Navy Yard in Washington DC, many organizational leadership teams have begun the unnerving conversations on ways to keep their most valuable assets safe in the workplace. Unfortunately, those talks are no longer about how to prevent slip and fall accidents, or even fire safety. In coming to terms with the world in which we live, a reality has to be faced, and those conversations are now strongly focused on saving lives in the event of a gun toting disgruntled employee or a complete stranger’s ambush.