As a leader, the distinction of “control vs. influence” is an important one to consider. Which is better? The answer is probably “it depends,” however, when working with employees or your team, influence can be so much more effective that it’s not even a contest. … Read more
David Brooks of the New York Times wrote a great piece about loyalty comparing two philosophers, William James, and Josiah Royce. You may not have heard of Josiah Royce? He believed that to have a functioning society, we need unity, not division, and above all, … Read more
One of my clients shared this YouTube Video with me this week and I couldn’t stop laughing. These two teenagers are trying to figure out how to dial a rotary phone and it’s hilarious to watch them try without success to do something that any … Read more
One of my long-held beliefs about business is that culture is the key to success for any business large or small. My new book The Great Culture [Dis]Connect contrasts “good” and “bad” cultures, (which are really just ineffective cultures), and shows you a way to … Read more
I was reviewing a New York Times Op-Ed piece “Why You Hate Work” that pointed out just 30% of the American workforce is satisfied. That’s a pretty dismal number and does not bode well for productivity, which in turn, affects the bottom line. Only 13% of … Read more
As we work to get ready for the end of 2018 and the holidays, it’s easy to get so caught up in the work that we forget what the season is all about. It’s a time of contemplation and assessment but also one of deep … Read more
I would like to sincerely thank all of you who have watched and listened to my videos with excerpts from my new book, The Great Culture [Dis]Connect. The official release is Friday, December 7th and it will be available on Amazon starting that day. If … Read more
One of my favorite questions to ask leaders when they are unhappy with someone’s performance is “knowing what you know now, would you hire them today?” Usually, the answer is an immediate “no.” Then the harder, follow up question is “so what are you going … Read more
There was a great article in the Wall Street Journal this week reinforcing one of the concepts we teach in the SBA’s Emerging Leaders Course – Customer Lifetime Value. It’s always interesting to me that most small to mid-size companies don’t know what a customer … Read more
Recently, I saw a parent teaching a child how to ride a bike.It made me smile to see both the excitement and fear on the little boy’s face as he said “now don’t let go ‘til I tell you,” and then the joy when he … Read more