Continuous Feedback
Why are we still doing Annual Reviews? Their very title speaks to why they are so bad: Annual = happens once a year Review = looking backwards Do we really believe that looking backwards once a year helps people get better? My daughter, Ellie, interned this past summer at a fantastic company in Richmond called […]
Opportunity for Leaders
Okay Leadership students. Take out your pen and paper and answer this question for today’s pop quiz:
What is your vision for how you will change or grow as a Leader between now and December 31st?
Pause to think about your answer before reading further . . . .
Labor Day is upon us. A change of seasons. With it, daily indications that the worst of the economy’s downturn is behind us. Some leaders have been stuck in neutral with their companies — trying every trick in the book but unable to grow sales. Others have continued to (painfully) cut employees and close stores — trying to stay afloat and ahead of the lenders. And some have been weathering things well, but have shifted themselves into neutral for summertime.
Well, it’s time to get to work — opportunity awaits! What is your vision for where you want to be 120 days from now?
Leaders, Gaps and Game-Changers
What are your plans for the new year? How will you be as intentional as possible in defining this year, as opposed to passively letting the year define you?
Here are a few thoughts for you if you’re feeling the nudge to put some stakes in the ground.
Leaders and the Illusion of Reputation
“It’s only when the tide goes out that you learn who’s been swimming naked.” — Warren Buffett He was considered a legend in his industry. Wealthy individuals from around the country asked if they could be his clients; many were turned away. Past chairman of the NASDAQ. Former board of governors member of the National […]
Leaders in the Face of Fear
“Fear, like joy or curiosity, is contagious among beasts and birds, as it is among men . . . . Animals are afraid on general principles. Anything new and strange excites their suspicions. In a herd of animals, cattle or horses, fear quickly becomes a panic and rages like a conflagration. Cattle men in the […]
The Company Leaders Keep
What kind of company do you keep as a Leader?
Attempting to be consistent with the suggestion in my last post — Leaders vs. Summer — I challenged myself to read Cicero’s “On a Life Well Spent” over the course of the summer. Trust me, other than the Bible, I’m not given to reading 2,000 year-old texts regularly.
This morning, I came across this ending to a chapter in which Cicero describes Quintus Maximus, a friend and Leader he greatly admired:
“. . . when he was taken from us, I should never find another Man to improve by.”
Who’s in your life, walking alongside you as a Leader, who, when they are gone, will be a great loss?
The best Leaders I know don’t lead in isolation. They surround themselves with a few good friends. Friends who inspire them to be better, genuinely care for them, and with whom they can be vulnerable.
Interestingly, I think this can be particularly difficult for men. Women more naturally cultivate supportive friendships.
So, what does this look like? In my life, I have my wife and about a half dozen men who’s counsel I seek regularly. Here’s how I would describe them.
Leaders vs. Summer
A new leadership tool is at hand this week. It’s summertime.
Despite the demands of this challenging economy, things are just different. There’s less traffic on the road in the mornings. Less people in the office because of vacations. Everyone knows you have to get major deals closed by mid-July because key decision-makers will be hard to assemble until after Labor Day. Inevitably there’s more recreation and leisure in your schedule.
All this presents Leaders with opportunities to “shift with the season” — to experiment, create, learn, reboot. And when Labor Day gets here (80 days and counting), you can decide to stop or continue. Will you take advantage of it?
Fathers of Leaders
Tuesday morning’s Wall Street Journal (May 27) contained something you don’t see every day.
Front page of Section A: Anheuser CEO Fights for His Legacy . . . Busch Heir Still Seeks Father’s Approval
Here are some interesting comments August Busch IV was quoted making about his father, August Busch III, who he succeeded as Anheuser’s CEO —
* “I never, ever had a father-son relationship . . . . it’s purely business.”
* “His love and respect will be when I’m ultimately successful.”
* “I honestly do believe if I failed in my professional life, it would be much harder to ever gain his respect.”
Every Leader a Thought Leader
A Sampling of Wall Street Journal Headlines from the past week . . .
* New Fears Jolt Credit Markets (March 6)
* Housing, Bank Troubles Deepen (March 7)
* Jobs Data Suggest U.S. Is in Recession (March 8)
* Grim Reaper of Jobs Stalks the Street (March 11)
How do these affect your thinking first thing in the morning . . . as you head in to lead your company?
“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” — Jewish Proverb
Leaders must be intentional about their thought life. Everything they DO is traceable to how they THINK.
Leaders in the Middle of It
And you may ask yourself
How do I work this?
And you may ask yourself
Where is that large automobile?
And you may tell yourself
This is not my beautiful house!
And you may tell yourself
This is not my beautiful wife!
— From “Once in a Lifetime” by David Byrne & the Talking Heads
If you’re in your 30’s, it’s coming.
In your 40’s? You sense it or know you’re in the middle of it.
50’s – it’s either the best thing that ever happened to you, or you’re wondering if you missed an opportunity.
Mid-life. I’m having more conversations with Leaders lately about this particular time-zone.