Independent business blogs are blogs that aren’t supported by an organization like a magazine, newspaper, company, or business school. Those people provide lots of great content, but they don’t need any additional exposure. In this post, every week, I bring you posts of quality from excellent bloggers that don’t get as much publicity.

This week, I’m pointing you to posts by Kevin Eikenberry, Karin Hurt, Jesse Lyn Stoner, Mary Jo Asmus, and Kate Nasser.

From Kevin Eikenberry: What I Learned About Leadership From My Mom

“As I’ve been thinking about Mom’s upcoming birthday, I’ve been reflecting on what she’s taught me – it’s a long list. To celebrate her birthday, I’ve identified some of the most important leadership lessons I have learned from her. It is my hope that this list not only celebrates her and give you a bit of insight into me; but far more important to you, I hope this article does two other things: Challenges you to think about these lessons for yourself – and which one(s) might help you in your leadership growth. Challenges you to ask the same question – ‘what did I learn about leadership from…’ – about an important person in your life.”

From Karin Hurt: How to Help a Task Master Focus on People

“So how do you help a task master focus on people? The short answer, turn the ‘people thing’ into a task.”

From Jess Lyn Stoner: How to Recognize a Leader

“A leader is a someone who influences others to follow a course of action when they have a choice.”

From Mary Jo Asmus: Work relationships need more than a nod across the table

“Workplaces are a microcosm of connection, conversation, and conflict. In other words, they are a place where relationships happen. Yet many leaders don’t intentionally develop the relationships that are key to their success. If you peek behind the curtain of leaders who fail, you might find that breakdowns happen because they haven’t deliberately established healthy, productive relationships with their stakeholders.”

From Kate Nasser: New Job People Skills: Use These Essentials

“It’s your first day on a new job. How do you make a great first impression and contribute positively each day?”

That’s it for this week’s selections from independent business blogs. If you liked this piece you may enjoy my regular post on “Leadership Reading to Start Your Week” points you to choice articles from the business schools, the business press and major consulting firms about strategy, innovation, women and the workplace, and work now and in the future. Highlights include why upper management’s role could be de-emphasized, pushing manufacturing productivity to the max, getting ready to battle grocery’s hard discounters, why some innovations stick, machine-learning promises to shake up large swathes of finance, a generation of female leaders strengthens GM, why so many women dropping out of the workforce, Microsoft’s new tool that tells the boss everything, and the missing half of training.

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