The world has lost a great leader. With the passing of Nelson Mandela, we are reminded of the incredible sacrifices often required of true leadership. I remember first learning of Nelson Mandela when I was in college. At the time, Mandela was imprisoned at Robben Island, then South Africa’s Alcatraz. Never giving up, and dedicating… Continue Reading Who We Are Makes a Difference
When I train leaders on how to increase the creative potential of their teams, we often get into a discussion around the differences between creativity and innovation. To some, the lines between being creative and being innovative are very blurred and these two processes are viewed as essentially the same. To others, there are real,… Continue Reading Creativity + Innovation
This past weekend I dove into Malcolm Gladwell’s newest book David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and The Art of Battling Giants. Gladwell, a writer for the New Yorker magazine and author of Outliers and Blink, tells story after story recounting the advantages of disadvantages (and the disadvantages of advantages). Starting with what really happened between… Continue Reading The Advantages of Disadvantages (and the Disadvantages of Advantages)
These 11 simple rules, first presented by Dave Packard at Hewlett-Packard’s second annual management conference in 1958 are timeless. 1. Think first of the other fellow. This is THE foundation — the first requisite — for getting along with others. Gaining this, the rest will be “a breeze.” 2. Build up the other person’s sense… Continue Reading 11 Simple Rules
When was the last time you had a really great conversation? If you spent much of your time talking about yourself, odds are the conversation could have gone better. According to Jean de La Bruyere, a great conversation focuses much more on bringing out the cleverness of others than in showing a great deal of… Continue Reading Great Conversations, Anyone?
On a scale of 1 to 10, how accountable would you say you are, and why? If accountability does not exist at the top of an organization, it is unlikely that those in the middle of the organization can be depended upon to act in accountable ways. Sometimes, leaders pretend not to see certain problems… Continue Reading How Accountable Are You?