[February 20, 2014] Rituals are a special part of daily life … a pattern of habits that allows us predictability. Rituals can be defined as a stereotyped sequence of activities that are designed to achieve a desired (and predictable) goal. Leaders need to be aware of them and encourage the good rituals. Rituals can be simple things like… Read More »
[February 19, 2014] I often get asked the question whether the growth of social media has had an effect on leadership. In short, the answer is YES. It has a great impact because the use of social media has changed the dynamics of communication. Great communication is the cornerstone of executive leadership. The ability to send a message… 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 17, 2014] Senior leadership is about providing a clear and compelling vision for the future, as well as how and with what to accomplish it. Adolf Hitler had a vision of the future and while it was clear and compelling for many German citizens, it was far from acceptable to the rest of the world. Hitler’s plan… Read More »
[February 16, 2014] Good leadership means building productive teams and organizations by ensuring the best and brightest leaders are ready for the job. Leaders are a reflection of that organization and its senior executive leadership. Yet, it appears that the U.S. has embarrassed itself over several recent nominations to ambassadorships1 (a senior leadership position). The nominee to be… Read More »
[February 15, 2014] While human organizational capability has improved over the past several thousand years, one remarkably successful but old system has remained – Tribalism. Tribalism is a way of thinking and behaving, with loyalty to a group, and strong identity. Good and bad leadership thrives in the tribal environment. Tribalism is usually about strong ethnic or cultural… Read More »
[February 14, 2014] Gatekeepers are in every organization and they are the ones who exercise control over access to something. In the old days, this meant limiting access through the city gate. Today, the term is used metaphorically, referring to people who decide whether you gain access to something; like to information, a person, a service, an interview. … Read More »
[February 13, 2014] There is some debate when the best time of year is to buy a new car but February is normally said to be the best month. Generally this is a slow sales month and thus a good time to buy. With this in mind, I’m presenting Ford Motor Company as a very successful vehicle manufacturer. … 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 11, 2014] Some people say that this television reality show has nothing to do with leadership … I disagree. In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past several years, one of the most popular shows on television lately has been “Duck Dynasty.” It’s a series that portrays the lives of the Robertson’s out of… Read More »