Most of my recent conversations with clients and other CEOs have been dominated by discussions about labor shortages. (Supply chain is a close second.) I’ll bet that everyone reading this has been affected in small or perhaps large measure. Whether it is your favorite restaurant cutting hours, your home-remodel project stuck in purgatory or your […]
I spent six hours fly fishing the Cache la Poudre River in northern Colorado on a Saturday in late October and only caught two fish; one on my second cast and the other hours later, shortly before I headed home for a beer. That day I did something that I rarely do, I spent all […]
There’s a crazy, one-day, annual bike race in France called Paris–Roubaix, which starts in Paris and ends in … oh, you guess! It’s 160 or so miles of hell. Although relatively flat, much of it is on a narrow, muddy cobblestone path. It’s like trying to ride on marbles on ice. The announcers constantly yell […]
Some recent interaction with a large medical provider left me with appreciation for great care, but also questions around their operating practices (e.g., scheduling and follow up calls). Questions like, “Why don’t they fix this?” (You and I know the answer; it’s not a priority!) If I had several glitches in service, imagine how many […]
Perhaps your dad or mom was a successful entrepreneur. Or perhaps you’ve been a hardworking, loyal part of the machinery that helped build a company. Now, however, you’ve been promoted to CEO and are wondering: “Do I deserve this? Will people respect me? How do I change course without upsetting Dad or Mom or the […]
We’re all in the same boat Fishing in the same hole Wondering where the same time goes And money too Tryna fix the same broke hearts Wishing on the same stars We’re all hoping hope floats And we’re all in the same boat —Zac Brown Band I’m a bit out of my swim lane here, […]
It’s August as I write this and over 90 degrees. I’m trading emails to set up a February ski trip with some fellas I’ve skied with for 30 years—minus a couple of years for injuries. I don’t know about you, but one of the worst things about the COVID pandemic was having zero anticipatory excitement […]
I frequently watch family members whom I love avoid conflict and, paradoxically, increase their stress level. Unresolved conflict is like an unpaid bill. It doesn’t go away; it gets bigger the longer you ignore it and eventually causes immense pain. I coach senior executives, who you might assume are assertive and enjoy — or are […]
When I work with executive teams on increasing their effectiveness, one of exercises we do is to identify the “rules of engagement” so that there is clarity about how people interact with each other. Some examples of rules are: > Be prepared for all meetings > All meetings must have an agenda and clear objectives […]
Some of the most rewarding work I’ve done is work with new CEOs. The gap from senior executive to Chief Executive Officer may not seem that large but every CEO I’ve worked with would tell you that it is much larger than it appears. An MBA doesn’t prepare you to be a CEO though it […]