How to Identify Your Team or Organization’s Purpose
The window shade company was struggling. Mary, a business consultant, asked the owner, “What business are you really in?” The owner replied, condescendingly, “The window shade business, Mary.” Thinking to himself this conversation was a waste of time. But undaunted,...
Rising to the Challenge Before Us – LEADING FORWARD
I am honored that Irene Becker has allowed me to share her powerful guest post. There is an important message here - a vision of what can be, a sobering description of our challenges, and a Call to Action. Although this is a longer post, I urge you to take the time to...
Judgment Calls
I understand the desire to study great leaders. It is my own habit as well. I gobble up biographies of Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, Jr., Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and currently Steve Jobs. But I read because I am...
1001 Mid-Course Corrections
I once heard that in order to reach the moon, NASA made over a thousand mid-course corrections. At first I was surprised. If you know where you’re going, why not just plot the course, like they do on Star Trek? But then I realized it's a perfect metaphor for a trap...
A Big Goal Is Not The Same As a Vision
When you have a vision, you know where you want to go and you can see your next steps - but you won't be able to see the entire path. Vision is not about the path, it’s about the destination. As you take each step, the next step becomes clear as long as you stay...
Leaders vs. Managers: The Real Answer to What’s Better
Leadership is about where you’re going and your journey along the way. It involves changing the status quo in order to create a desired future. Leadership behaviors include: Challenging the current way of doing things: searching for opportunities and taking risks...
It’s Easier to Give Than to Receive, But Not Necessarily Better
How many times have you heard, “It’s better to give than receive?” It’s so ingrained in our culture, we don’t even question it. If you are in a leadership role, chances are you believe this wholeheartedly. Which means you also probably believe you should always be...
Without Clear Values, You Are Probably Losing Business
Can everyone in your organization explain each of the values and how they personally act on them? They can at companies like Disney, Starbucks, Southwest, McDonalds and Google – all listed in the top 15 of the 2012 most admired companies.
3 Activities to Discover Your Vision
In my post, Dig Below Your Dreams to Discover Your Vision, I discussed why it is important to re-connect with your dreams. If you’re not clear about what you really want, you are likely to set goals that will not be truly satisfying once accomplished. For most of us,...
Dig Below Your Dreams to Discover Your Vision
Your vision arises from your hopes and dreams. If you’re not clear about what you really want, you are likely to set goals that will not be truly satisfying once accomplished. Look below the surface to find the roots of your dreams. You might find that what you...
How to Influence Without Authority
Back in the good old days, if you were in a position of authority, you could just announce what needed to be done and assume it would be carried out. But times have changed. As companies expand and become more complex, no matter what organizational structure is in...
5 Pitfalls to Avoid When Identifying Team Values
What Happened: Someone on the leadership team suggested it would be a good idea to identify our values. The regular agenda for the leadership team meetings was already jam-packed, and no one had time for an extra meeting to do this work, so the task was assigned to a...