Dr Michael Walton | University of Economics Prague (original) (raw)
Papers by Dr Michael Walton
The Global Analyst, 2025
Leaders need guard against their susceptibility to 3 cognitive dangers each of which significantl... more Leaders need guard against their susceptibility to 3 cognitive dangers each of which significantly shapes and executives perspective on the world around them and will profoundly compromise decision-making.
The Global Analyst, 2024
Whilst an executive's behaviour may be viewed as the single most significant factor when examinin... more Whilst an executive's behaviour may be viewed as the single most significant factor when examining an organisations performance it may not be the only one as (i) the organisation's internal culture as well as its (ii) external market environment also exert considerable influence on performance.
The IUP Journal of Soft Skills, 2024
Dissatisfaction with the quality of working relationship between leaders and their colleagues con... more Dissatisfaction with the quality of working relationship between leaders and their colleagues continues to be the primary reason for executive derailment, staff turnover, loss of trust in leadership, workplace dissatisfaction and low employee engagement. Research into such matters has tended to focus more on the 'Above-the-Line' observable and measurable facets of executive behavior and has (seemingly) neglected the emotionally-grounded workplace dynamics and phenomena. This paper seeks to draw attention to the 'Below-the-Line' phenomena as one way of rectifying this imbalance and seeming neglect.
The Global Analyst, 2024
Hugh is in positions of power and influence will always have the potential to deceive and lie dep... more Hugh is in positions of power and influence will always have the potential to deceive and lie depending on the situations in which they find themselves and their objectives. This article highlights this particular somewhat neglected aspect of leadership behaviour.
The Global Analyst, 2024
Using 'leadership archetypes' is one way in which an executive's behavior in the workplace can be... more Using 'leadership archetypes' is one way in which an executive's behavior in the workplace can be codified. These 'leadership architypes' can be used as a shorthand way of capturing different sorts of significant, and prominent workplace dynamics.
The Global Analyst, 2024
The article focuses on the internal emotionality of the workplace. The extent to which it is an e... more The article focuses on the internal emotionality of the workplace. The extent to which it is an engaging and pleasant environment in which to work or perhaps one where incivility is the norm, where power-plays represent the key patterns of behaviour and win-lose dynamics prevail.
The Global Analyst, 2024
High-profile leadership failures continue to be regularly reported across the globe. Employee sur... more High-profile leadership failures continue to be regularly reported across the globe. Employee surveys continue to record increasing trust in organisational leadership. Two primary causes are (i) organisational cultures which tolerate promote or sustain unacceptable leadership behaviour and (ii) the appointment of leaders whose character and competence renders them and suitable for such positions of trust and authority but who, nevertheless, have been appointed to leadership positions. The article explores employee reactions to such untenable, anxiety provoking and disabling conditions.
The Global Analyst, 2024
This article highlights how certain aspects of leadership decision-making behaviour are so ingrai... more This article highlights how certain aspects of leadership decision-making behaviour are so ingrained that they are similar to a person working on autopilot.
It is suggested that value can come from illuminating such deeply ingrained patterns of behaviour to assess whether they are still of value or need to be discarded. Five such autopilot decision-making tendencies are outlined together with 20 'leadership guidelines' each worthy of attention and consideration.
The Global Analyst, 2024
'Behavioral Excesses', if overplayed, can increase the likelihood of a leader's ultimate failure.... more 'Behavioral Excesses', if overplayed, can increase the likelihood of a leader's ultimate failure. Six such excesses or signposts are described which, if disregarded, will likely lead leaders towards their failure. The purpose of the article is to highlight some of the underlying 'root' causes which are likely to generate counterproductive executive behavior.
The IUP Journal of Soft Skills, 2024
The paper emphasizes the importance of self-understanding, which focuses on a person's internal, ... more The paper emphasizes the importance of self-understanding, which focuses on a person's internal, inherent and intuitive drives and preoccupations, in contrast to self-awareness, which is more concerned with a person's external behavior. Five perspectives are introduced which can be bolted together to insights on how and why they may make the decisions they do and exhibit the behavior they show to the external world.
The Effective Executive, 2024
For facets of executive leadership each of which, in excess, has the potential to derail an execu... more For facets of executive leadership each of which, in excess, has the potential to derail an executive career and damage the integrity and success of their organisation are outlined.
Executives should be alert to the possibility that their organisational power, their access to elitist privileges et cetera render them vulnerable to becoming captivated by egoistic and self oriented preoccupations. The article suggests that far more attention should be given to the selection, appointment, and post appointment monitoring of executive behaviour.
The Global Analyst, 2024
The purpose of this article is simply to draw attention to a neglected and over-looked aspect of ... more The purpose of this article is simply to draw attention to a neglected and over-looked aspect of leadership, namely organizational 'Mood Management'. This is a key factor in shaping and determining morale, employee motivation, task satisfaction, executive decision-making and organizational functionality. Workplace 'mood' and 'tone' matters a great deal as it can release creativity and foster well-being.
The Global Analyst, 2024
Continuing pressures on executives to deliver ambitious results in a highly competitive and geopo... more Continuing pressures on executives to deliver ambitious results in a highly competitive and geopolitically and certain external market can easily need someone to behave in ways which are counter-productive to their own well-being and that of their organisation.
This article considers an unusual and highly personalised type of scam emanating from a leader's personal behaviour and his or her lack of awareness of their counter-productive impact.
Effective Executive, 2022
This paper suggests that 'critical thinking' is a more perplexing notion that it may appear to be... more This paper suggests that 'critical thinking' is a more perplexing notion that it may appear to be and highlights of the significance of (i) organisational bias and (ii) the mindsets of key executives in shaping precisely how critical thinking will come to be defined and construed
The Global Analyst, 2024
The article highlights the importance of building and sustaining civil and mutually polite workpl... more The article highlights the importance of building and sustaining civil and mutually polite workplace relationships even during disagreements, periods of high tension and underlying personal rivalry. The material outlined drawers on personal experiences as well as on associated research data.
The Global Analyst
An 'executive jumper' is an executive whose career progression is characterised by occupying posi... more An 'executive jumper' is an executive whose career progression is characterised by occupying positions for the shortest possible time before moving to an evermore senior appointment. Such executives pose a problem for organisations because of their short-term focus and over emphasis on career progression over organisational performance.
The Global Analyst, 2024
The article introduces four 'categorisations' each of which can be used to simplify the complex d... more The article introduces four 'categorisations' each of which can be used to simplify the complex dynamics underpinning executive and organisational behaviour.
The Effective Executive, 2023
The article focuses on some of the more hidden and obscure aspects of an executive's workplace be... more The article focuses on some of the more hidden and obscure aspects of an executive's workplace behaviour. Behaviours which can profoundly affect their success. Eight 'reasons to be careful' – are outlined - each of which can facilitate executive success and guard against executive failure and career disappointment.
HRM Review, 2023
This article highlights a key yet really emphasised responsibility of HRM to protect their organi... more This article highlights a key yet really emphasised responsibility of HRM to protect their organisations from malevolent intrusions, sabotage and corporate espionage. Such matters remain a persistent danger for organisations and thus should be carefully guarded against. A number of defence strategies and countermeasures are briefly outlined for consideration.
The Global Analyst, 2023
This article considers how and why some employees may choose to work in ways which are clandestin... more This article considers how and why some employees may choose to work in ways which are clandestine, self-serving, manipulative and damaging to the interests of their employer. The focus is on corporate espionage, sabotage and spying and how such activities may be identified or curtailed.
The Global Analyst, 2025
Leaders need guard against their susceptibility to 3 cognitive dangers each of which significantl... more Leaders need guard against their susceptibility to 3 cognitive dangers each of which significantly shapes and executives perspective on the world around them and will profoundly compromise decision-making.
The Global Analyst, 2024
Whilst an executive's behaviour may be viewed as the single most significant factor when examinin... more Whilst an executive's behaviour may be viewed as the single most significant factor when examining an organisations performance it may not be the only one as (i) the organisation's internal culture as well as its (ii) external market environment also exert considerable influence on performance.
The IUP Journal of Soft Skills, 2024
Dissatisfaction with the quality of working relationship between leaders and their colleagues con... more Dissatisfaction with the quality of working relationship between leaders and their colleagues continues to be the primary reason for executive derailment, staff turnover, loss of trust in leadership, workplace dissatisfaction and low employee engagement. Research into such matters has tended to focus more on the 'Above-the-Line' observable and measurable facets of executive behavior and has (seemingly) neglected the emotionally-grounded workplace dynamics and phenomena. This paper seeks to draw attention to the 'Below-the-Line' phenomena as one way of rectifying this imbalance and seeming neglect.
The Global Analyst, 2024
Hugh is in positions of power and influence will always have the potential to deceive and lie dep... more Hugh is in positions of power and influence will always have the potential to deceive and lie depending on the situations in which they find themselves and their objectives. This article highlights this particular somewhat neglected aspect of leadership behaviour.
The Global Analyst, 2024
Using 'leadership archetypes' is one way in which an executive's behavior in the workplace can be... more Using 'leadership archetypes' is one way in which an executive's behavior in the workplace can be codified. These 'leadership architypes' can be used as a shorthand way of capturing different sorts of significant, and prominent workplace dynamics.
The Global Analyst, 2024
The article focuses on the internal emotionality of the workplace. The extent to which it is an e... more The article focuses on the internal emotionality of the workplace. The extent to which it is an engaging and pleasant environment in which to work or perhaps one where incivility is the norm, where power-plays represent the key patterns of behaviour and win-lose dynamics prevail.
The Global Analyst, 2024
High-profile leadership failures continue to be regularly reported across the globe. Employee sur... more High-profile leadership failures continue to be regularly reported across the globe. Employee surveys continue to record increasing trust in organisational leadership. Two primary causes are (i) organisational cultures which tolerate promote or sustain unacceptable leadership behaviour and (ii) the appointment of leaders whose character and competence renders them and suitable for such positions of trust and authority but who, nevertheless, have been appointed to leadership positions. The article explores employee reactions to such untenable, anxiety provoking and disabling conditions.
The Global Analyst, 2024
This article highlights how certain aspects of leadership decision-making behaviour are so ingrai... more This article highlights how certain aspects of leadership decision-making behaviour are so ingrained that they are similar to a person working on autopilot.
It is suggested that value can come from illuminating such deeply ingrained patterns of behaviour to assess whether they are still of value or need to be discarded. Five such autopilot decision-making tendencies are outlined together with 20 'leadership guidelines' each worthy of attention and consideration.
The Global Analyst, 2024
'Behavioral Excesses', if overplayed, can increase the likelihood of a leader's ultimate failure.... more 'Behavioral Excesses', if overplayed, can increase the likelihood of a leader's ultimate failure. Six such excesses or signposts are described which, if disregarded, will likely lead leaders towards their failure. The purpose of the article is to highlight some of the underlying 'root' causes which are likely to generate counterproductive executive behavior.
The IUP Journal of Soft Skills, 2024
The paper emphasizes the importance of self-understanding, which focuses on a person's internal, ... more The paper emphasizes the importance of self-understanding, which focuses on a person's internal, inherent and intuitive drives and preoccupations, in contrast to self-awareness, which is more concerned with a person's external behavior. Five perspectives are introduced which can be bolted together to insights on how and why they may make the decisions they do and exhibit the behavior they show to the external world.
The Effective Executive, 2024
For facets of executive leadership each of which, in excess, has the potential to derail an execu... more For facets of executive leadership each of which, in excess, has the potential to derail an executive career and damage the integrity and success of their organisation are outlined.
Executives should be alert to the possibility that their organisational power, their access to elitist privileges et cetera render them vulnerable to becoming captivated by egoistic and self oriented preoccupations. The article suggests that far more attention should be given to the selection, appointment, and post appointment monitoring of executive behaviour.
The Global Analyst, 2024
The purpose of this article is simply to draw attention to a neglected and over-looked aspect of ... more The purpose of this article is simply to draw attention to a neglected and over-looked aspect of leadership, namely organizational 'Mood Management'. This is a key factor in shaping and determining morale, employee motivation, task satisfaction, executive decision-making and organizational functionality. Workplace 'mood' and 'tone' matters a great deal as it can release creativity and foster well-being.
The Global Analyst, 2024
Continuing pressures on executives to deliver ambitious results in a highly competitive and geopo... more Continuing pressures on executives to deliver ambitious results in a highly competitive and geopolitically and certain external market can easily need someone to behave in ways which are counter-productive to their own well-being and that of their organisation.
This article considers an unusual and highly personalised type of scam emanating from a leader's personal behaviour and his or her lack of awareness of their counter-productive impact.
Effective Executive, 2022
This paper suggests that 'critical thinking' is a more perplexing notion that it may appear to be... more This paper suggests that 'critical thinking' is a more perplexing notion that it may appear to be and highlights of the significance of (i) organisational bias and (ii) the mindsets of key executives in shaping precisely how critical thinking will come to be defined and construed
The Global Analyst, 2024
The article highlights the importance of building and sustaining civil and mutually polite workpl... more The article highlights the importance of building and sustaining civil and mutually polite workplace relationships even during disagreements, periods of high tension and underlying personal rivalry. The material outlined drawers on personal experiences as well as on associated research data.
The Global Analyst
An 'executive jumper' is an executive whose career progression is characterised by occupying posi... more An 'executive jumper' is an executive whose career progression is characterised by occupying positions for the shortest possible time before moving to an evermore senior appointment. Such executives pose a problem for organisations because of their short-term focus and over emphasis on career progression over organisational performance.
The Global Analyst, 2024
The article introduces four 'categorisations' each of which can be used to simplify the complex d... more The article introduces four 'categorisations' each of which can be used to simplify the complex dynamics underpinning executive and organisational behaviour.
The Effective Executive, 2023
The article focuses on some of the more hidden and obscure aspects of an executive's workplace be... more The article focuses on some of the more hidden and obscure aspects of an executive's workplace behaviour. Behaviours which can profoundly affect their success. Eight 'reasons to be careful' – are outlined - each of which can facilitate executive success and guard against executive failure and career disappointment.
HRM Review, 2023
This article highlights a key yet really emphasised responsibility of HRM to protect their organi... more This article highlights a key yet really emphasised responsibility of HRM to protect their organisations from malevolent intrusions, sabotage and corporate espionage. Such matters remain a persistent danger for organisations and thus should be carefully guarded against. A number of defence strategies and countermeasures are briefly outlined for consideration.
The Global Analyst, 2023
This article considers how and why some employees may choose to work in ways which are clandestin... more This article considers how and why some employees may choose to work in ways which are clandestine, self-serving, manipulative and damaging to the interests of their employer. The focus is on corporate espionage, sabotage and spying and how such activities may be identified or curtailed.
Action Leading: Research and Practice, 2021
Book Review - 29 contributing authors; 435 pages £99.99
Industrial and Commercial Training Journal, 2014
Review of the following books: Corporate Psychopaths: Organisational Destroyers - Clive Boddy Pa... more Review of the following books:
Corporate Psychopaths: Organisational Destroyers - Clive Boddy
Palgrave Macmillan, London
Confessions of a Sociopath - M. E. Thomas
Sidgewick & Jackson London
Office Politics - Oliver James
Vermillon, London
Counselling at Work, BACP Journal, 2012
Author - Andrew J DuBrin, published by Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK