One obvious requirement of business leadership involves the universally respected value of trust. This leads us to the topic of authenticity. Are business leaders today seen as highly rated by their authenticity or are they seen as disingenuous, shallow, self-promoting or even dishonest? Are business leaders trusted? This is a hard problem to quantify. Entire […]
The Main Thing Leaders Should Know About FocusRead More
Businesses limit success by losing focus on what is most important. Businesses suffer from ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), too. For example, this week at a member recruitment reception at a business club, a new member introduced himself. He is an entrepreneur with nine start-up businesses. He is interested in meeting investors with capital for start-ups. […]
Your Behavior Reveals Your ValuesRead More
Companies frequently state integrity as one of their values in doing business. Sounds good but what does it really mean? Merriam-Webster defines integrity, a noun, as the following: Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code. The state of being unimpaired; soundness. The quality or condition of being whole or undivided; completeness. It is […]
Virtues That SabotageRead More
Most of us would argue that excellence, fairness and collaboration are desirable in the work place. Think again. In Tipping Sacred Cows—Kick the Bad Work Habits that Masquerade as Virtues (2013) Jake Breeden exposes the dark side of exalted virtues. He explores seven of the most common sacred cows in the work place. See my […]
Goals Trump ResolutionsRead More
Resolutions have a dismal track record of success. "Eighty percent of resolutions are lying on the floor by the end of January," said Alan Manevitz a psychiatrist at New York Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan in an article in The State newspaper (January 14, 2008). In January memberships at gyms and fitness clubs increase and by […]
High Accountability in a Blameless Culture
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When people returned from military service and assumed roles in business, the command-and-control style of leadership took hold. The authoritarian leadership style is out of fashion today because rather than promoting creativity, it promotes fear. When the boss is finger-pointing, people go on the defensive. They are not ready to consider “what can I learn […]