Leadership is more than something we do or a role we play; it is a deeply human connection that engages our mind and our emotions. Because leadership requires interdependence, the level of our connection will depend on the degree to which the people we serve can see us and trust who we are. In other […] Read more… Read More»
Following a prolonged recession, business owners want to increase profitability but have exhausted the relatively easy methods of trimming employees, product lines or inventory. We suggest a necessary next step is to examine the key roadblocks to profitability that are found in so many companies, even after the cost-cutting has happened. These roadblocks can […] Read more… Read More»
A leader’s best insurance policy against wasting time on the wrong things is having a clear plan to invest time productively. All of us remember the geologic time scales from high-school Science books showing the various strata of rock in the Earth’s crust. Leadership time — the time a leader is empowered to do the […] Read more… Read More»
Mention the age-old adage “there’s no I in team” these days and you’ll likely get a roll of eyes and a few tired comments. Well, I hope that’s what happens. We are surely way past the days when individual talent, ideas and efforts are compromised to end up with a mediocre or easier to manage […] Read more… Read More»
When you walk into Menlo Innovations, at first glance it looks like many other tech companies: no cubes, shared work spaces, pets, even little babies. But what you can’t observe immediately is the absence of managers. Menlo Innovations, a software development company out of Ann Arbor, Michigan, has eliminated the need for managers. Certainly a […] Read more… Read More»
On a recent episode of ExchangeGain TV, Alan Kay and I discussed his method of improving employee morale by focusing on what works and (perhaps counter-intuitively) not even discussing what doesn’t work. As a guy who has been searching for and rooting out problems for years, this really caught me by surprise […] Read more… Read More»
Every company faces challenges when it comes to being social — problems like security, coordination, customer service, etc. But, when you’re a global brand, these challenges can grow to epic proportions. And they will do so quickly. Plus, there are a whole host of additional challenges specific to being social at the enterprise level. In a recent webinar […] Read more… Read More»
Many people have their “real” selves and their “work” selves. We pack away certain parts of our personalities and slap on our game face when we go to the office. Ever ask yourself why? In some ways this is well and good. We don’t want to bring that fight with our spouse or rage against […] Read more… Read More»
“Good people chair committees. Smart people avoid them. Innovators can’t spell committee.” – Dr. Todd Dewett Leaders, get ready to have your fuel tank filled to overflowing as I interview this week’s guest, a truly dynamic – and savvy – leadership expert! This “retired” professor is author of The Little Black Book of Leadership, an […] Read more… Read More»
Today, I was talking to a CEO buddy. Apparently, the evangelism that surrounds him is rubbing off. Fairly new in his position, he is absolutely dedicated to changing his company’s culture. Next year. The new year. 2014. In other words: not now. So, as I am prone to do, I pushed back: “Why wait until the […] Read more… Read More»
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