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, Paul LaRue, Terry Klass, Sharlyn Lauby, and Frank Sonnenberg.

From Kevin Eikenberry: Leadership Lessons from an Unprecedented Year

“No one predicted what happened this year. Our vocabulary expanded, our world view was altered, and for many, the way we work and where we work changed. While some would like to forget 2020 and just move on, wise leaders know there are rich lessons to be found in challenging and painful experiences. I’ve done my reflection, and these are some of my leadership lessons from the pandemic.”

From Paul LaRue: Ambitious For 2021? Keep It Simple

“As we start to set our sights on 2021, with the hopes of the pandemic waning as it runs its course and vaccines are being distributed, it would be very easy to kick our ambitions into the high gear we had hoped at the advent of 2020. In 2021, more than ever, it may be prudent to just keep it simple in our plans and goals.”

From Terri Klass: How Will You Lead In 2021?

“The end of 2020 is upon us and for most leaders they are saying goodbye to an incredibly difficult year. Leading this past year has been one bump in the road after another. Nothing flowed in the way we thought it would for organizations and teams.”

From Sharlyn Lauby: What to Expect in 2021: Analytics Driven Talent Strategies

“While there are many things we do not know about 2021, one thing we do know is that organizations will be focused on getting to what we might want to call the ‘next normal’. I’m sure there are companies that feel they fell behind in 2020 and they will want to make that up.”

From Frank Sonnenberg: 35 Questions to Inspire Soul Searching

“When was the last time you paused to reflect on your life? You’re too busy for that, right? Wouldn’t you like to know if you should continue full speed ahead or if you’re veering off course? Here are 35 questions to inspire soul searching. They will help you identify your values, discover your driving forces, challenge your behavior, and determine whether you should recalibrate your direction. Finding the right answer begins with the right question.”

That’s it for this week’s selections from independent business blogs. If you liked this piece you may enjoy my curation posts on this blog. On Fridays you can wrap up your week with “Weekend Leadership Reading” consisting of choice articles on hot leadership topics culled from the business schools, the business press and major consulting firms.

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.

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