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 getting in rhythm, becoming more approachable, good luck or bad luck, management and cooking, and really listening.

From Susan Mazza: Got Rhythm?

“Because rhythm provides you with flow and helps you to build momentum in developing both personally and professionally. It’s also important to developing yourself as a leader.”

From Mary Jo Asmus: 5 ways leaders can be more approachable

“When I interview the stakeholders on the strengths and gaps of the leaders I work with, it’s not unusual for me to hear that the peers and direct reports may see that leader as ‘aloof’ or unapproachable. The fact that they may be in a senior management position can compound the issue, as there is always that hierarchical block that may keep employees away.”

From Lolly Daskal: Good Luck or Bad Luck? Who Knows!

“Great leaders understand that even though they have all that it takes to be a top-notch leader, they don’t have all the answers. A leader who always knows the way usually shows the way—but when they don’t know, they allow themselves permission to face the times of ‘Who knows?'”

From Les Hayman: The Management Art of Cooking

“I love to cook (even though I am at best an enthusiastic beginner), ever since my wife once gave me, as a Xmas present, my first ever formal cooking course of one full week in London at the ‘Leiths School of food and wine’ (see ‘Cooking tips for men’ posted November 25, 2010). I loved the course, my only disappointment being that there was nothing about wine on the course, despite its inclusion in their name. I have, since that time, been back to Leiths on a number of different courses and have realised that there are a lot of similarities between being a chef (even if only occasionally) and being in a management role.”

From Jesse Lyn Stoner: How to REALLY Listen

“Many of us equate listening with problem-solving, and we don’t even realize it. We believe that when someone shares a problem, the best response is to help them find a solution. Do you know how to REALLY listen? … to listen without feeling responsible to help the person find a solution?”

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 The myth of ‘the first 90 days,’  how traditional businesses are thriving in an age of disruptive innovation, the innovation strategy big companies should pursue, a look at gender diversity at b-schools, and what a corporation can be.

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.