Leading Next
Automobiles. Apartments. Laundromats. What do these “traditional” industries have in common? All three represent companies under leaders I know who are taking disruptive technologies seriously. The auto dealer is not only studying Tesla – now the most valuable car company in the United States – but also autonomous vehicles, ride services like Uber and Lyft, […]
Creativity vs. Reactivity Take Two
One leader responded to my last post on Creative vs Reactive by telling me his own story of reacting in a way he wishes he could take back. He and a colleague were at an industry conference when they bumped into a client. The client asked a fairly innocent question in a crowded noisy room […]
Creativity vs. Reactivity
Last month, I had a surprising realization that reminded me there is still so much I don’t know that I don’t know. While on vacation with my family, I intentionally disconnected – from my phone, email, and work in general. When I took this full stop, it suddenly hit me how much of my work […]
The Discipline of Creativity
Ten years ago, when I first started writing regularly – for my book and my blog – I had to overcome a fear that I didn’t have anything new or useful to share with others. I did not think of myself as very creative. How about you? Do you have some area where you need […]
It’s Beach Body Time!
A few weeks ago, I stepped on the scale: 209 pounds. Whoa! Not good! I had not clocked in at that weight for several years. Time to make some adjustments. (And it happens so gradually!) How about you? Have you tuned in to your physical appearance or condition recently? Any action needed? The leaders I […]
When Meetings Waste Your Time
Last week, I sat in on an executive team meeting. I was so bored! Interestingly, I was the only person in the room for whom most of the discussion was brand new. Why was I so bored? Because nothing really happened—for two hours! Sure, there was a lot of talking, a lot of papers passed […]
Stop & Go
Over the last eight months, I’ve been writing periodically about character and leadership. Why is character so important in leaders? Because character is what leads you when you have to lead yourself. You can read the introduction to the character series here. Today we look at that internal guidance mechanism known as self-discipline. ************************************************************************************** This […]
One Cure For Busyness
In my last post, I wrote about the chronic problem of “I’m so busy” leadership. Thanks to all those of you who commented on and shared this post through LinkedIn. This week, I follow up with thoughts on an antidote for leaders’ busyness: delegation. Two months ago, I was in conversation with the president of […]
Leaders Who Are “So Busy”
Last week I was talking with a leader who opened our conversation by saying, “I am…just…so busy.” And he said it in a positive way. He was happy about it. How often do you hear this? How often do you say it yourself? Here’s the question I asked this busy leader: Are you busy on […]
Matt Ryan’s Lesson for Leaders
The Falcons lost in a heartbreaker, but they fielded a great team for a great Super Bowl. Ron Farmer, Atlanta resident and President of Heartland Campus Solutions, wrote this note to his “team” of over 500 on Monday morning. In it, Ron identifies a great takeaway for leaders and teams. He was gracious to let […]