If your manager tosses you a $200 gift card for reaching a milestone, it’s nothing personal — and according to Anna Straus, that’s a problem when it comes to employee retention and workplace productivity.

Henry Ford dreamed of mass-producing cars. So he started the Detroit Automobile Company … and it flopped. Oprah Winfrey was fired from her first job at a TV station. Before she dominated the world of fashion, Vera Wang failed to realize her original dream — making it as an Olympic figure skater.

I bet you a cup of coffee that you are reading this just before a meeting, or maybe just after. Another bet: You feel that there are too many meetings. A third: This gauntlet of meetings can make it tough — or impossible — to finish your work.  

The idea of open-space offices has been with us since the start of the tech revolution. It seems we are under the mistaken belief that the early technology companies — such as Google, Wikipedia, eBay — were onto something when they tore down office walls, removed cubicles and allowed workers to float in a sea of open access. Teamwork became the goal.

A good leader is someone whose people are productive, innovative and excited to be part of the team. How does an employee — particularly one new to a leadership role — develop the skills to create and manage such a team?

“Evil HR Lady” Suzanne Lucas explains what you should say — and what you shouldn’t — when a prospective employer calls with a reference check.

The irony of Maria Kang’s international success is not lost on her: The same critics who helped her message go viral inadvertently opened the door for her to reach a global audience.

Advanced leaders realize the importance of intimacy, with a goal of creating a second family in the workplace.

“Space and distance from TV news has welcomed perspective and clarity. I now see my unhappiness with work and life as a reflection of my internal misalignment. As I yearned for stability, I could not see the faultiness of my own personal foundation; something no job, no partner, no achievement could fix. This was soul work.”

Unemployment rates in Sacramento and across America are at historic lows. The competition for talent is fierce, because great people are the lifeblood of every successful enterprise. There is no more important role for leaders than that of a teambuilder.