George Bernard Shaw

I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. Life is no ‘brief candle’ for me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have … [ Read more ]

Carry a Big Basket

Frances Hesselbein (editor-in-chief of Leader to Leader) discusses a piece of advice she received years ago, “You have to carry a big basket to bring something home.” In particular, she mentions four leadership imperatives — innovation, inclusion, opportunity and equal access, and values-based management. Along with these, she reminds us that mission focus, the leadership essential, guides us in how we use what we … [ Read more ]

Philanthropy, Self-Fulfillment, and the Leadership of Community Foundations

The usual question echoing in the hallways of nonprofit organizations is, What do donors want? The more pertinent question is, What do donors need? One way to answer this question is to examine the remarkable success and consequent challenges of one of the fastest growing sectors of American philanthropy: community foundations.

Editor’s Note: this article applies Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to the nonprofit world. … [ Read more ]

James Champy

When financial pressures and capital markets demand improved financial performance, the most common reaction is a reduction in force — that’s a layoff. I’m sorry to report that many managers choose layoffs as an expedient way to improve performance and satisfy capital markets. The result for the company is half the people doing twice the work. Capital markets may see some short-term profit improvement, but … [ Read more ]

Gary Hirshberg

Gary Hirshberg is president and CEO of Stonyfield Farm, the nation’s fastest growing yogurt company, and an accomplished writer and keynote speaker on corporate social and environmental responsibility.

Why Leaders Should Reconsider Their Measurement Systems

Michael Hammer raises some issues regarding conventional uses of performance measures and offers suggestions for improvement.

Clayton M. Christensen

Despite beliefs spawned by change-management and reengineering programs, processes are not nearly as flexible as resources are — and values are even less so.

Clayton M. Christensen

Three classes of factors affect what an organization can and cannot do: its resources, its processes, and its values.

Assessing Your Organization’s Innovation Capabilities

This is an excellent article from the author of The Innovator’s Dilemma. It discusses his Resources-Processes-Values (RPV) framework for evaluating an organization’s ability to innovate successfully. The author argues that most organizations focus too heavily on the most flexible variable – the resources whereas the less flexible processes and values have a greater importance on the success of new business initiatives.

Editor’s … [ Read more ]

When the Roll is Called in 2010

“Building a sustainable organization is one of a leader’s primary responsibilities. When the challenges of today have been met, will your organization have the vigor to grow tomorrow? When the roll is called in 2010, will your organization be present? To meet the challenges and opportunities of the years to come requires hard work. My checklist — not for survival but for a successful journey … [ Read more ]

Creative Leadership

Leading creative people in today’s world requires leaders not just to be innovative themselves, but to be receptive and open to surprise.

Leading Transition: A New Model for Change

Many leaders think transitions will occur automatically during a change process. But the secret to successful change may lie in how well leaders manage periods of transition.