To most of us, mentors are people of experience and knowledge who help the less experienced advance their careers and education. There are plenty of well-known examples throughout history; Aristotle mentored Alexander the Great, Martin Scorsese mentored Ron Howard, and Freddy Laker mentored Richard Branson. Early in my business career, I had had the privilege […] Read more… Read More»
Stop. Breathe. Deeply. Exhale. Hold still. Listen for your heartbeat in your chest. This isn’t just another post in a stream of data input in your daily consumption of more. To fully grip the message in this piece, I need for you to breathe deep, and clear your mind to be present. The rapid pace […] Read more… Read More»
Ever hear the expression “What got us here won’t get us where we need to go next?” I keep thinking about our companies’ leaders, and that saying nags at me. Maybe it’s time for some brand-new leadership, something radically different from the same-old-same-old we’ve groomed and promoted for generations now. I know, I know: “Ted, […] Read more… Read More»
Many, many years ago (in the 1980’s), I worked for Unisys Corporation in Jericho, NY. My district manager was a gentleman by the name of Bob Greifeld. I worked closely with Bob for over four years and he and I became close friends. Eventually, Bob moved to a company called Automated Security Clearances, which was […] Read more… Read More»
In my post this past Thursday, I promised that today I’d show you how my Principles-to-Practices Framework can transform your social media efforts. Ready? The framework goes like this, from highest-level to most basic: Principles guide Strategy, which guide Tactics, which guide Practices. Principles are incredibly important and probably shouldn’t change at all from your […] Read more… Read More»
My European colleagues think we’re a little nuts. You Americans are obsessed with psychological profiling. You put your leaders through psychological assessment after assessment. And with every new self-assessment you stick them into another little psychological box. Yes. I know what they mean. We do it in the spirit of hiring for competencies (translate: a […] Read more… Read More»
Leaders are leaders, regardless of their area of endeavor: business, the military, politics, charity, clubs; even family. The lessons we learn from leaders in one arena are often at least as valuable as those from our own, because of the outside perspective they lend. Take Abraham Lincoln, for example. To our knowledge, ExchangeGain […] Read more… Read More»
Today’s episode of ExchangeGain TV is with Deborah Mills-Scofield, a member of our League of Extraordinary Thinkers as well as a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review. What makes Deb’s thinking so extraordinary? Where do we begin? Early in her career, this inventor developed one of the most lucrative patents ever for AT&T-Lucent. […] Read more… Read More»
I’ve written about the characteristics of meaningful work. But what are its catalysts? It’s one thing to know what this type of work looks like. Its creation, however, something altogether different. Creating a culture where meaningful work occurs is a shared responsibility between managers and employees. Employees must be willing to see that the workplace […] Read more… Read More»
Let me be clear at the outset; I’m not arguing against a clear definition of where a company is going and what sets it apart. My beef is with the way a corporation’s guiding principle is expressed. Generally, it is verbose, convoluted and incapable of resonating with employees. So how in the world can it inspire […] Read more… Read More»
→