The X-Factor of Great Leadership
Character is a critical ingredient in your leadership. It influences your thoughts, feelings and actions. Be intentional with it. This week’s blog is the second in an occasional series on character. Click here to read the first installment. Last year, the CEO of Procter and Gamble, one of the world’s largest consumer product companies, did something surprising. […]
Arnold Palmer: More Than A Great Golfer
A few weeks ago, we learned that thousands of Wells Fargo employees had opened fraudulent accounts to meet the bank’s “cross-selling” goals. The story was jaw-dropping. 5 years? 5,000 employees? Over 2 million sham accounts? Really? During that entire stretch of time, no Wells Fargo leader (who still works there!) ever paused to say, “Hey, […]
Stop Rambling. Start BLUF-ing.
Notice: This post provides a new communication tool that I would like you to try at least once today! A week or so ago, I began a phone conversation with a leader who had been referred to me. With very few opening pleasantries, this leader launched into his story about all the challenges he was […]
Ledecky, Neymar, and Getting Gritty
Late last year a board member gave me feedback on a CEO I was coaching. He concluded his comments with, “…and he has GRIT!” The word stood out to me at the time. I had not heard it recently, especially to describe a leader. But since then, I feel like I’m seeing and hearing it […]
How To Do Better By Doing Nothing
A few weeks ago, a colleague forwarded to me a sales coach’s June newsletter that admonished readers to avoid “laziness” and “overcome the dog days of summer.” He basically shamed his readers for taking time off. This glorification of “all work, no play” has become fairly pervasive in our American society. In 2015, more than half […]
CEO Non-Negotiable #3
My son, Will, asked me the other day who some of my best bosses have been. I immediately thought of my first full-time boss, Captain Butler, commander of Charlie Company, 3rd of the 63rd Armor Battalion. He regularly checked in with me as I learned my job as a brand new platoon leader. He was […]
CEO Non-Negotiable #2
(This is the second in a series of what I call “The 3 CEO Non-Negotiables” — responsibilities that lie squarely with the leader at the top. If you are not a CEO, but aspire to be, this is for you as well.) Congratulations to my friends Geoff Ramsey and Terry Chabrowe, co-founders of NYC-based eMarketer, […]
CEO Non-Negotiable #1
In the past few days, “vision” has been a repeat theme in my conversations with top leaders. 1) I heard board members encouraging a CEO to get out of the weeds and be more visionary. 2) A President discussed a big vision he had for his company, but wondered aloud “will they laugh at me?” […]
Conflict? Build Bridges, Not Walls
One of the top issues that leaders discuss with me is conflict with others at work. Perhaps: • one person dominates weekly meetings with his opinion. • the team is at odds about next steps on an important decision. • a member of the team consistently misses deadlines. • half the team wants to study […]
Parenting Your New Hire
If you are part of an organization that is growing or experiencing change, odds are you are bringing in, or promoting, new leaders to help with that growth and change. In my observation, many otherwise highly effective leaders struggle to onboard their new hire in a win-win-win for the two of them and the company. […]