You’ve all been asked to support various causes at work. Maybe it’s been your co-worker’s child’s softball team or the current company cause. These are all great, assuming they are in alignment with the company values and policies and truly assist someone or some organization … Read more
Last week there was an interesting article in the WSJ about Microsoft and some industry veterans offered up several “Fix it Strategies” for the company with Ballmer’s departure. There were definitely some interesting ideas and likely some that are spot on. However, it got me … 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
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
Lately it seems that a lot of my work has been about the role or definition of a manager vs. a leader. I was surprised that there are as many interpretations of the roles as there are definitions in Webster’s Dictionary. You need both, and … Read more
I am frequently asked, “What makes a great leader?” There are a lot of good answers to this question, but when I really think about the most successful, respected leaders, one characteristic comes to mind – predicting what’s ahead down the road. Knowing what direction … Read more
In working with CEOs and entrepreneurs over the last 25 years or so, I’ve come to believe that the role of the CEO or leader of the organization is really two things; growing your people and growing your company. If you’re spending an inordinate amount … Read more
First, a caveat, I was never a big fan of Lance Armstrong – something about his demeanor or behavior felt a little too self-absorbed for me. Although arguably a great athlete, he was singularly focused on the win to the extent that he was willing to … Read more