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 on team vision, workplace democracy, surfacing new ideas, the secret to successful leadership and the hero within.

From Jesse Lyn Stoner: How Does Your Team Vision Rate?

“Does your team share a real vision? Is everyone on your team moving in the same direction toward a shared vision? Does your vision really make a difference? Answer these 10 questions to find out.”

From Les Hayman: Are We Ready for Workplace Democracy?

“I am seeing an increasing amount of discussion about the concept of workplace democracy, and have even most recently come across a company where all staff members were invited to vote ‘yea or nay’ on the appointment of a new CEO, when the current founder and CEO felt that it was time for him to step aside. The outgoing CEO chose his successor, and then asked all staff to vote on whether they agreed with his choice. Luckily they did (although it was not unanimous) which was fortunate, as I feel that this particular partial attempt at the democratic process may have been somewhat short-lived had it been a resounding ‘nay’ vote.”

From Mary Jo Asmus: Surfacing elephants and new ideas

“There are many leaders who talk too much. They can suck the life out of a room by shutting out other voices that need to be heard. Any wisdom those other voices have may be lost in the plethora of words that gush out of the leader’s mouth. I’ve also known leaders who are quiet and need to be heard. They may have wisdom to share, but can’t get a word into the raucous cacophony going on around them. So they may withhold their voices, much to the detriment of their organizations.”

From Tanveer Naseer: Revealing The Secret To Successful Leadership

“In leadership circles, we’re constantly on the lookout for sage advice on what it takes to succeed; of what skills, competencies, and/or strategies leaders should employ and exemplify to succeed in today’s challenging, ever-changing work environment.”

From Lolly Daskal: Be Distinct: Find The Hero Within

“To find inspiration, just look for ordinary people with extraordinary stories of heroism. They’re all around us. When we follow a code of what is right, we can become a hero in our own life. When we live with compassion, we can become a hero in lives of others.”

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 from the last issue include culture, car makers and small cars, how diversity is not good for creativity, women in the SET industries, and work-family conflict.

How I Select Posts for this Midweek
Review

The five posts I select to share in my Midweek Review of the Independent
Business Blogs are picked from a regular review of about sixty blogs I check
daily and an additional twenty-five or so that I check occasionally. Here’s how
I select the posts you see in this review.

They must be published within the previous week.

They must support the purpose of the blog: to help leaders at all levels do a
better job and lead a better life.

They must be from an independent business blog.

As a general rule, I only select posts that stand on their own, no selections
from a series.

Also as a general rule, I do not select posts that are either a book review or a book report.

I reserve the right to make exceptions to the above.

Here, on Three Star Leadership, I post things that will
help a boss at any level do better and live a better life. At Results vs
Activities, I join other bloggers with posts on talent development.

If you’re a boss, you should check out my Working Supervisor’s Support Kit.