Archimedes said, “Give me a lever and a place to stand and I can move the world.” When I was a CEO or prior to that in other executive positions (i.e. my “place to stand”), I was frequently slowed down by challenges for which I did not have a tool to solve. Creativity, focus and […]
“A ruler who hides behind paid executioners soon forgets what death is.” — Lord Stark of Winterfell I hope your business isn’t as bloody as Game of Thrones, but Stark makes a good point. Hiding behind the castle walls and having others do the dirty work means you soon forget what your business is about. […]
Don’t have two people responsible for the same thing What? Research on “diffusion of responsibility” found that we’re most likely to take heroic action when we’re alone rather than with others. The hypothesis is that we: (a) don’t want to look foolish and (b) are influenced by what the other person is doing — probably […]
Numerous studies identify that CEOs’ ability to create value for the firm is highest in their tenure’s “middle innings.” Longevity in the corner office helps, but only to a point. There’s also evidence that the longer CEOs remain in the corner office, the more adept they become at internal relationships. However, the firm’s relationships with […]
A recent NPR story highlighted DNA testing services (e.g., 23andMe and Ancestry.com) and how many people are surprised when they’re of different makeup than they thought. Some folks are disturbed when their life’s narrative doesn’t match the real story. It turns out that many of us are not as self-aware as we think. (To my […]
A recent message from a contact mentioned a wonderful retreat he’d experienced because the organization’s new leader brought in a “motivational speaker.” What a bunch of crap! You take over an organization and hire a motivational speaker because you have nothing to say?! Business should be fun, but don’t waste the opportunity to engage your […]
Years ago (and pounds ago!) I ran marathons. I was a young father and worked too much, so I ran them with less-than-desirable training miles per week, causing me to fade at the 20-mile mark. I could not finish strong. I was proud of my effort and times but could’ve done much better with more […]
If you lead an organization and can experience joy alone, without your team, you’re not a leader — you’re a selfish boor. I don’t mean you need others’ accolades to feel successful; that’s just low self-esteem. Rather, I mean that real leaders feel the most joy when they can celebrate and share the rewards of […]
A successful CEO recently told me how several of his senior leaders presented potential acquisition targets to him in the past year that were “must do” deals. Funny, he thought, that after they were outbid or lost for some other reason, they became “no big deal” deals. Only fools would completely ignore opportunities that they […]
When you were a kid, did you play tug of war? If so, you may remember having two equally strong teams matched up. There was lots of spent energy, sweating, perhaps swearing — and that damn rope just didn’t move! Does your company feel that way sometimes? Lots of people working hard and no movement?! […]