Mary Marshall A couple of weeks ago, I talked about opportunities that come knocking when we least expect them and asked whether or not you open the door? Ironically, an opportunity came knocking for me and I have decided to go for it! One of my clients, … Read more
When I work with an organization, I look at a lot of things. Over the years, however, I’ve come to believe the fundamental “design” of the organization is the key to its success or failure. This is actually a little different than Organizational Development or … Read more
I was recently working with a client and realized something interesting. She was having a “failure to communicate” with one of her department managers. I asked her to walk me through the conversation – not her interpretation of the conversation – the actual conversation. What I … Read more
I was surprised to read the front page article in the WSJ this week entitled “Risk-Averse Culture Infects US workers, Entrepreneurs.” It goes on to talk about the decline in new business starts, investment in new business, fewer jobs created by entrepreneurial businesses, and lack … Read more
Recently, I’ve talked about innovation and what stops us from taking advantage of opportunities. A recent article in the WSJ – “What Makes a Risk Taker” – summarized several studies to conclude that in the right context even the most cautious individual can be a risk taker. And what … Read more
Leaders are often acknowledged for their ability to leverage opportunities that are presented to them. Just as often, they create opportunities out of ordinary events. In other words, they not only open the door when someone is knocking, they do the knocking themselves. Why does this … Read more
We are all leaders, although not all of us would acknowledge it. At some point in our lives, we’ve led people or projects to something or through something. If you’re a parent, you’ve certainly led your children in countless ways. So why don’t more people acknowledge … Read more
The NYT interviewed Steve Case, founder of AOL, in a provocative article “When Attackers Become Defenders, Innovation Is Lost.” Last week I talked about innovation and great ideas coming from a quiet mind. I was intrigued that Mr. Case added another layer to that. He believes thatinnovation rarely … Read more
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal entitled, “How Entrepreneurs Come up with Great Ideas,” asked leaders how they did it and where their inspirations came from. I noticed two common themes. First, that in order for inspiration to strike, many founders said they were … Read more
In a recent article about SurveyMonkey, founder and CEO Dave Goldberg talks about the role of culture in creating his highly successful company.Although there are multiple leadership lessons in the piece, I want to talk about two that I share with my CEO clients regularly. The first is summarized well … Read more