Vision is the lifeblood of any march toward the future. Without it, the status quo offers a comfort zone that is difficult to give up — especially when things have been pretty darn good for a very long time. Before we go further we should clarify terms. A Vision is not about a 100-word so-called … Continue Reading
Title, office location or size, number of direct reports and not even hiring and firing authority guarantees that one is a leader. The greatest leaders we encounter are not defined by trappings. This reality often hits hard at the peak of disruption or crisis, when what is needed is leaders who have what it takes … Continue Reading
In his book, Leaders Eat Last, Simon Sinek bases the title on a practice of the US Marines. When gathered to eat, the enlisted members of the group are first in line, while officers wait until everyone else has been served. The book is, in my view a must read. But here is a timely … Continue Reading
In his book Leaders Eat Last, Simon Sinek sets the bar for what defines a leader. The book as well as Sinek’s TED Talks should be required for anyone aspiring to a leadership role. In short, the author suggests that the real measure of an effective leader is the degree to which she inspires a … Continue Reading
There is still time to give a gift that can change everything in the coming days, weeks and throughout the new year. The gift? A fresh start. A new beginning. Give it to everyone with whom you interact — family, colleagues, team members, clients and customers. Extend it even to those from whom you expect … Continue Reading
Very few people really like change. Those who say they do may really be talking about variety — like trading cars or upgrading to the newest phone. Consequential change is ofine a painful process. Sometime ago I ran across this Networking Exchange blog post by Alan See. The post points out that in the early 20th … Continue Reading
Some accomplish it with a pen mightier-than-any-sword. Some with eloquent oratory. For many the tool is as simple as an invitation — how may I help you? Or the offer of a cup of cold water Some speak volumes with the sheer force of example. Whatever the methodology, real leaders encourage conversations — around core ideas, fundamental values, … Continue Reading
Some days remind us that every human being has a story. And most of the time we don’t know many of the details. This week brought several of those days. The specifics — not really appropriate to recount here — have prompted plenty of introspection on my part. Much of it has centered on how … Continue Reading
I remember when we used to be able to disagree with each other. Friends could have a debate, and go home friends. We could work alongside others, and build neighborhoods with folks with whom we shared differing views. Somehow we managed to identify common ground, and get things done. Those were the days. Or maybe … Continue Reading
The mid-seventies motion picture All The President’s Men popularized the counsel offered by Deep Throat — Follow the Money. This was the key to understanding the issues relevant to the Watergate scandal. Questions about the events surrounding the 1972 U.S. Presidential election — who was behind the break-in at the Watergate…and why — made for compelling news coverage. For … Continue Reading
It is much easier to be a critic than a creator; less risky to respond and react than to innovate and initiate; less costly to follow than to lead. Charting new territory — innovating, establishing relationships and building solutions — requires a vision for the future and a measure of courage . . . an investment of blood, sweat and … Continue Reading
Few will argue the inevitability of change. But there is plenty of debate about the degree to which it might land at our front door and impact our reality. We proclaim intellectual acceptance with lines like the only constant is change. Or the poignant if you don’t like change, you’ll like irrelevance even less. But … Continue Reading
When I met Henry Gilchrist he was in his mid-seventies. Those of us that came along in those days weren’t around when he was doing deals for Texas oil man Clint Murchison; or as he conceived and structured a unique funding deal to create Texas Stadium; or while he was point person on high profile … Continue Reading
Everyone has amazing insight. It’s true. At some point, on some topic, almost everyone will have a moment of clarity worth sharing. The challenge, at least as it relates to productive dialogue, is that many of us believe the frequency and scope of the insight we possess to be so grand as to warrant the … Continue Reading
Where change is the objective, there is little value in having the same conversations over and over. Eventually, the glazed-over-eyes should be a dead give-away: no one is listening. If the goal is to connect, here are five ideas that will instigate more productive conversations. 1) Avoid the devils you know. These come in all shapes … Continue Reading
In his most recent book, Leaders Eat Last, Simon Sinek has based the title on a practice of the US Marines. When gathered to eat, the most junior members of the group are first in line, while senior leadership waits until everyone else has been served. The book is, in my view a must read. But here … Continue Reading
There are a few things that are either black or white. But very few. Most of the time almost everything is defined based on perspective. Thursday many in the United States will enjoy a holiday tradition that has come to combine turkey and the National Football League. We’ll argue the blurry line between solid defense and pass interference. … Continue Reading
The mid-seventies motion picture All The President’s Men popularized the phrase follow the money. In the dramatization of the political scandal that became known as Watergate, the informant referred to as Deep Throat offered this phrase as the key to identifying those responsible for the dirty trick. Questions about the events surrounding the 1972 U.S. … Continue Reading
The development of new business rarely occurs in a vacuum. In professional service firms where marketing and business development are silos at best, or necessary evils at worst, organic growth will be painfully difficult. And there will be consistent debates over where and how to invest resources. By contrast, firms that realize measurable success — … Continue Reading
There are markets where sales is little more than a numbers game. Send enough emails, make enough calls, knock on enough doors, ask the question over-and-over, ignore objectionns, and you’ll close some deals. But you won’t build many relationships. And that means that next month…or next quarter…or next year you get to start all over … Continue Reading
There is no shortage of communicators talking about the challenges attendant to listening. Type effective listening into your search engine, and you won’t have to wait long for the evidence. In 1.8 seconds more than 1 million resources will be one click away. Tips, tricks, guidelines, best practices, secrets, insights, barriers, ten-step-programs, five keys, principles, systems — … Continue Reading
My friend, Petri Darby said it this way: When I don’t know how I feel, or what to think, I turn to how I want to feel, and what I want to think.” Great counsel, friend. Here goes. I want to think that violence, hate and fear do not define who we are — who … Continue Reading
We have a propensity for doing whatever it takes when the chips are down. A cause or challenge seemingly bigger than our ability to manage is often the mission to which we are drawn in droves. This plays out in the way we respond in the face of disaster — like the loss inflicted by … Continue Reading
“Move more. Assume less.” This was the response of a CEO friend when asked about his success in turning around a consulting firm on the brink of extinction twenty-two months earlier. Don was retiring, and he was reflective. “In the early days we were determined to meet the market at its point of need. That … Continue Reading
