Are You Running Away from Your Problems?
I was having a conversation with a senior executive recently. My team and I just started working with his organization. He said he had checked out my work and, in particular, read several of my Gut Check for Leaders blogs. He then said, “You have so much great content that I suspect a lot of […]
What is the most crucial leadership decision you need to make in 2020?
In January of 1990, I started my first business as a budding entrepreneur. I provided career advisory services to private clients, many of whom were senior managers in their organizations. The reason my clients came to me was that they were at a personal inflection point–they were dissatisfied with their current role or organization and […]
My Top 10 Blogs from the Last Decade
One of the favorite ideas in business is the notion that entrepreneurs and executives need to balance their focus between working on the business and working in the business. This critical insight was shared by Michael Gerber many years ago in his book The E-Myth Revisited. I always try to take this vital idea to […]
Do you embrace your darker side?
On December 6th, I was having a regular check-in meeting with a client. Philippe, a colleague based in Switzerland, joined the meeting. He began his update by showing us a photo of two characters and told us he would need to drop off the meeting a little early because his kids were going to have […]
How do you deal with gossip at work?
Even though 2019 is winding down, there is no let-up on new leadership stories breaking out in the media. Just this past week, there was a doozy of a story that emerged from the 70th anniversary of NATO. The meeting was held in London and entirely overshadowed by a leaked video of a small group […]
Do you have meaningful leadership conversations with colleagues?
This fall, I worked with many senior leaders across several organizations to help them get clear on their company’s strategy and then understand how they need to step up and lead with greater accountability. I typically use the core ideas from my book, The Leadership Contract, as the backdrop to the sessions I lead. I […]
As a leader, do you struggle with follow-through?
An interesting story emerged this week from the Premier League. Frank Lampard, the coach for Chelsea FC, took over the team in the summer and in August, put in place a strict disciplinary approach. How? By charging his players a range of significant fines for several transgressions and unacceptable behaviours. It was his approach to […]
Is your company’s leadership culture an asset or a liability?
Ginni Rometty, CEO of IBM, once said that a company’s culture is its number one asset. What’s amazing to me is she expressed this idea back in 2011, even before she became CEO of Big Blue. Rometty was speaking at the Yale CEO Summit. She told the audience that culture is a defining issue that will […]
How Do You Show Up in Moments that Matter Most?
“Why do some leaders make such stupid decisions when leading their people?” It’s a question I ask myself from time to time, especially as I hear stories from clients on their experiences with their leaders. Case in point, a recent story I heard from a client of mine, really left me scratching my head.
What’s the deal with accountability in your organization?
A few weeks ago, I was in a government service centre to hand in the licence plates for one of my old cars. As you would most likely guess, the waiting room was jam-packed with people. I took a number from the ticket machine and realized there were twenty-two people ahead of me. I sighed […]