I read Warren Buffett’s final Chairman’s Letter to shareholders the morning I wrote this. I’ve written about Buffett and his letters before, but this one hit me differently. For a guy who may be the most successful investor in modern history, Buffett is remarkably thoughtful—and humble. His annual letters are sprinkled with mea culpas about […]
I don’t buy into gentle parenting, and I don’t buy into soft leadership either. Kind? Yes. Empathetic? Absolutely. Supportive? Of course. But tough? Hell yes. Mistakes shouldn’t be ignored. Feedback—both positive and negative—should come with real consequences. Leadership isn’t about hand-holding; it’s about setting expectations and enforcing them. That said, there’s a not so fine line between […]
My youngest son served in the United States Marine Corps and then went to college and had a relatively short career in sales. Searching for the purpose and camaraderie he had in the Marines, he decided in his late 30s to become a firefighter—not easy as there are 100 applicants for every opening, but he […]
In a recent blog, I suggested that people keep an “I wonder…” list of questions. After traveling to Cuba last month, I came back with a few additions. Two are: “Why do we still have an embargo against Cuba when it doesn’t appear to be doing any good?” (my research says there’s no good reason, […]
In my many years of coaching CEOs and other senior executives, I’ve seen one thing cause more damage than anything else. Conflict. No, not too much (though I’ve certainly seen that)—too little. Avoiding the tough decisions and conversations. The underlying problem is usually an internal voice that says, “I want everyone to like me.” Your […]
I only coach senior executives, mostly CEOs, so you might expect that our time together is spent talking about strategy, growth tactics, increasing profitability, operational challenges, organizational structure, and financial data. And you’d be partially correct. However, the bulk of our time together is spent talking about relationships. Improving relationships, acquiring relationships, and kindly eliminating […]
I ran into one of these rare creatures recently. Rare because they usually don’t last. Kind of like a lazy wildebeest, the one the lion catches. I’m always puzzled (and disgusted!) at how they came to be and how they survive! When you find a lazy CEO, they usually own the company. Maybe Daddy did. […]
AI developers are struggling with a new challenge: Getting AI to “unlearn.” There are myriad circumstances where you might want AI to unlearn: new privacy laws, intellectual property issues, disinformation from right-wing or left-wing nuts, Krap from the Kremlin, etc. I guess once AI internalizes a “belief” or “fact,” it’s difficult to change—just like humans […]
I’m working with a few executives who’ve been tagged as possible CEOs. This is fun for them and me. All are highly motivated and self-aware. With these assignments, I typically conduct a 360-degree feedback session with the coachee’s boss, peers, and those who report to them so that we can develop a list of priorities […]
Does the ability to control human behavior by creating mistrust, unhealthy competition, possible jail time, or even death excite you? If so, you’re the perfect candidate for my new class, “Lead Like Vladimir Putin!” Coming soon to a Gulag near you! There are leadership books with titles that include “Lead Like Jesus,” “Lead Like a […]