Innovation: Creating value by doing something better by doing it a new or different way. That “something better” could be many things: A new product A refined process An improved way to collaborate Innovation doesn’t have to mean a radical change -incremental tweaks are innovative, too. Given this broad definition of innovation, everyone can be innovative. … Read more
What comes to mind when you hear the word ego? Is your first association positive or negative? The paradoxical truth is that it’s both. Ego can serve as a a major pro or a major con. Ego can be defined as “a person’s self-esteem, or self-importance”. On the upside of the ego equation, a … Read more
Saturday did not go as planned. Paul, Alex and I were two days into a three-day backpacking trip in the Adirondack mountains of New York State. Hiking north on the Northville-Lake Placid Trail, we were fourteen miles away from civilization. Paul, one of my best friends from college and an experienced hiker, had planned out our route. We’d … Read more
In the course of my consulting engagements, I work with hundreds of mid-level and senior leaders a month. Lately, I’ve asked asked many of them the same question: When you make an offer to be of support to a group of entry-level or junior-level employees, how many of them actually take you up on your offer … Read more
What puts some people on a path of perpetual progress, while others seem destined for daily disappointment? Consider Steve. Over the course of a thirty year career, Steve has risen to the highest ranks of one of the world’s largest consulting companies. A savvy dealmaker, Steve is also known for being one of the most … Read more
Wendy was in tears. She was exhausted and completely demoralized.Always a straight- A student, Wendy was feeling the pangs of failure. On this new project team, she felt undervalued and overlooked. The team operated as though she were invisible. They’d discuss things and make decisions without her. As we continued our coaching session, Wendy confided in … Read more
MAKE IT SO. At its core, isn’t this what leadership is about?T o make something that is not yet so – so? It sounds so simple. But it’s not easy. To “make it so” takes: Passion Vision Initiative Influence Courage Strategy Plans Effort And even when you take all these steps, there’s still no guarantee … Read more
On Thursday evening, I flew into New York City. At LaGuardia airport, I met a man who’d recently come from the West Coast. His name is Manmohan Pooni. Earlier in the week, Monmohan had been in California presenting at a national conference on Indian History and Literature. His specific area of expertise is the Indian … Read more
On April 18, 1783, George Washington announced the end of fighting between America and Great Britain. The freedom won in the American Revolution came at a high cost: of the 200,000 Americans who served in the war, 25,000 died. This staggering number represents about 1 percent of total American population at that time. Over the … Read more
In working with hundreds of organizations, a recurring theme is that greatleaders develop other leaders. On paper, that’s an easy concept to grasp: it’s pretty obvious. However, the challenge in the real world–the too much to do, not enough time to do it real world– is that developing other leaders gets pushed aside for other priorities.Important … Read more
