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 Ed Batista, Steve Roesler, Mary Jo Asmus, Lolly Daskal, and Art Petty.

From Ed Batista: Stop Providing Too Much Information

“When we’re working with others in a differentiated authority role–leaders with employees, teachers with students, even–to an extent–coaches with clients–we tend to provide too much information. Leaders can provide so much structure and background and context that it makes it harder for their team to do the work. Teachers can fill their syllabi with so many readings and their class sessions with so many activities that their students learn less. And while an executive coach isn’t a conventional authority figure, I see moments where I’m saying or doing so much that I’m getting in the way and holding my client back. Why do we do this? And what can we do instead? Three possibilities:”

From Steve Roesler: Do You Use Verbal White Space?

“Graphic designers know how to focus your attention. They frequently communicate through the use of white space. Less is more. The message is clear. There’s no clutter.”

From Mary Jo Asmus: What happens when you have real conversation

“Nothing happens without conversation. When great conversations happen, relationships become established and organizational goals can be met and exceeded.”

From Lolly Daskal: The Truth About Courageous Leadership

“Aristotle called courage the first virtue, because it makes all of the other virtues possible. And in my line of work as a coach I believe he is right; if you are courageous it really makes all that you do as a leader have merit. The courageous leader takes the risks when they.”

From Art Petty: Role Models from Dangerous Situations

“I had the great honor of delivering two leadership workshops at the Alabama Jail Association Annual Conference recently, and the experience was for me, fascinating, humbling and incredibly educational. (Yes, teachers do learn from students and instructors from participants!)”

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 failing in order to succeed in the Digital World, the surprising endurance of the boob tube, the five hottest innovation trends, how advancing women’s equality can add $12 trillion to global growth, and Udacity says it can teach tech skills to millions.

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 a better job and live a better life. At the The 360 Degree Feedback blog, I join other bloggers with posts on leadership development. And, at Wally Bock’s Writing Edge, I share tools and insights to help you write better.

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