[March 20, 2014] When action is called for, when the company is in a death spiral, when the organization is headed to mission failure; it’s time for the senior leadership to be ruthless and do those things necessary things to save it from destruction. Doing the right things morally, ethically, and legally is of course a must for… Read More »
[March 01, 2014] Senior leadership is hard. One of the most challenging things for executive leaders to do is to keep a positive work culture. Fundamentally, organizational core values will play a key role in this work culture. When we consider a positive work culture and core values together, we call it “spiritual health.” This is rarely addressed… Read More »
[February 24, 2014] Senior leadership means having many attributes that are stronger and more powerful than other leaders less experienced and motivated. Having credibility is one of those complex characteristics that is hard to describe … we know it when we see it. Being able to articulate the components of credibility is important because it reaches back to… Read More »
[February 18, 2014] Leadership is about maintaining the human touch with people. People are the strength of their organization and leaders that do not understand this principle will always struggle to succeed. Effective leadership means treating people right and respecting them. As the saying goes, “Take care of your people and they will take care of you.” But… Read More »
[February 12, 2014] Poise is one of those senior leader characteristics rarely spoken about when discussing the important aspects of leadership. Yet, it is crucial for a leader to be dignified and self-confident in one’s composure. Possessing poise distinguishes the good leader from the great leader. Poise is one of those traits that is developed only through experience… Read More »
[February 05, 2014] Senior executive leaders possess the highest levels of loyalty to their organization and to those who work for them. Leadership requires loyalty but senior leadership demands an intensity of commitment not seen in other leaders. It is difficult to imagine a great leader who is not intensely loyal to their organization and followers. We often… Read More »
[January 23, 2014] Senior leadership requires the special skills inherent in what is referred to as “diplomacy.” This means that senior executive leaders have the ability to advance important ideas and to do so with tact and decorum. For the purposes of this article, diplomacy is practiced at the organizational level. I’ll leave statesmanship for another time. A… Read More »
[January 18, 2014] The greatest of senior executive leaders improve themselves every day. Leadership at this level requires the commitment and the discipline to be the best you can be. I’m a frequent flyer on a number of airlines. When flying, I get the chance to actually think about what I should be doing to get better and… Read More »
[January 15, 2014] Let’s begin by noting that the purpose of an interview is to determine whether a person is the right person for a leadership job. However, the search process for a senior leader position begins before any interview and may end well after the final decision is made. Does this mean that the “interview” is largely… Read More »
[January 12, 2014] There are a number of traits in senior leadership, but it is benevolence that is most closely associated with both a positive work environment and with improved productivity. A number of studies have shown that senior executive leaders are more likely to succeed by displaying benevolent qualities. There are stories from history about the benevolent… Read More »