Leaders Getting the Right Things Done

“I think my biggest challenge right now is time management.”
I ask this Leader, “how, exactly, are you spending your time?” “Well, I’m doing this and this and this . . .” he rattles off the list of meetings (that’s always a big culprit!), phone calls, studying of reports, returning emails, etc. that occupy every leader’s day. The “activity” list comes easily.
When I sense he’s starting to wind down, I ask “what are the most important things you need to be doing right now? What are the key results you need to achieve today . . . this week?”
This brings a pause, hesitation.
Isn’t this a great challenge for all of us? Maintaining a clear understanding of what results we need to be focused on — from our vantage point as Leader of the organization? The blizzard of ACTIVITY white’s out our perspective on RESULTS.

When and Where Leaders Listen

There’s an article titled “Uncovering the Blind Spot of Leadership” in the latest issue of Leader to Leader magazine. Author C. Otto Scharmer writes about four different modes of listening for Leaders. I’ve provided excerpts below.
Those of you who have heard me speak know that I often frame the Leader in four dimensions – Physical, Intellectual, Emotional and Spiritual. Along with Scharmer’s thoughts, I have added my own in the context of which dimensions a Leader listens from . . . .
Think about conversations you’ve already had today.

Lessons from a Fired CEO

A CEO getting fired is always an occasion for learning. Wall Street has given us two such occasions in the past two weeks.
What caught my attention were the observations about Stan O’Neal of Merrill Lynch. Note these descriptions from The Wall Street Journal in an article sub-titled ‘Startled Board Ditches a Famously Aloof CEO:’
“Mr. O’Neal’s talent and steely drive came with a tragic flaw: