Once Upon a Time

There are six stories that executives need to know how to tell to motivate.

All You Need is Love

We can nourish our souls AND become rich. A look at values-centered leadership.

What Will Your Legacy Be?

The generals talk about the “new Army,” and how officers and men are encouraged to think independently instead of being conditioned to follow orders. How well is this message being transmitted to the troops, specifically to the younger officers-the Army’s “middle managers”? The following essay, written by two young officers to their peers, speaks to that point, and also has some pertinent things to say … [ Read more ]

The Mark of a Winner

“What separates winning organizations from the also-rans? I have spent 25 years studying both winners and losers from the inside out for an answer. Not surprisingly, winning organizations share certain financial attributes.”

Leaders Shape Focus and Context

Strong leaders connect and energize people. They work tirelessly to ensure that no ones loses sight of what it’s all about.

Deepening Our Discipline

Discipline means having the vision to see the long term picture and keep things in balance. Regret can cost hundreds of hours, discipline costs minutes. An ounce of bite-my-tongue can outweigh a ton of I am-so-sorries.

David A. Garvin

I make an important distinction between CEOs who are effective teachers and CEOs who are effective leaders of the learning processes of their organizations. A teacher imparts a point of view, a perspective, a vision, a set of guidelines – it’s communication from the expert to the novice. Meanwhile a CEO who leads the learning process of others, creates a learning culture, cultivates learning processes … [ Read more ]

The Leader of the Future

Harvard’s Ronald Heifetz offers a short course on the future of leadership.

Hidden Assets

Strategies for managing your intangible leadership capital.

Measuring Organizational and Team Energy Levels

Take the courageous approach to leadership by building team commitment and ownership. Our “Energy Index” Assessment is a great place to start.

Should a Company Have a Noble Purpose?

If you’re a senior executive or a strategic planner, then articulating a noble purpose may seem like a powerful way to energize the people in your organization to break away from your pack of competitors. And it may seem like a way to attract a more committed, more passionate, and more capable group of employees-people, like teachers, actors, artists, and nurses, who dedicate themselves to … [ Read more ]

Marsha Johnson Evans

I don’t think people ever set out to fail. They’re new, they’re excited, they see themselves as successful, and those of us making the hiring decision also see them as successful. Then something happens. The potential goes unrealized, or the eagerness dissipates. I always ask myself, Was there something that I could have done to make this person successful? Was it a bad fit that … [ Read more ]

Are You A Leader? Part I: The Leadership Self Test

As today’s organizations become more and more lean, people in business are gaining a greater appreciation for the differences between a manager’s style of thinking and a leader’s style of thinking. If you’re curious about how much you think like a leader versus thinking like a manager, answer these fifteen True or False questions.

Getting the Full Picture

Do your employees see you as a manager or a leader? Do you really want to know? The Leadership Report Card gives you the answer — if you’re brave enough to hear it.

Buckingham and Coffman

To build commitment, managers must communicate with employees; assess their capacity to engage in various initiatives; give honest feedback; develop their strengths; identify their ‘blind-spots’; make decisions; and most of all, value each person’s unique style and capabilities.

The Residue of Leadership: Why Ambition Matters

James Champy discusses the importance of ambition to leadership. Along the way, he introduces the three-part arc of ambition, three archetypes of achievement and seven ways to elevate ambition.

Brian Billick

If you are not prepared to exhibit a constant level of energy, those around you will respond in kind.

What Makes a Person Powerful in an Organization?

“Office politics” is a fact of life for anyone who works in a formal organization such as a commercial company. Power is an important concept but it is hard to define and to measure.

A Culture of Commitment

Beyond a healthy balance sheet, the softest of assets — personality — carries the day. That and other sentiments from Southwest Airlines chief Herb Kelleher.