I didn’t always understand what a great culture looks like. In fact, as a young West Point cadet and later as an Army officer, I only had a vague notion of what a culture was at all. We had a set way of doing things, to be sure, but it was pretty much taken for … Read more
Are you listening with the intent to understand — or the intent to interrupt? That’s the topic of my latest video blog: “Don’t Pardon the Interruption.” Of course, listening is one of the most vital skills to possess when in charge of a team. It is why listening is one of our Big Six Leadership … Read more
Let us make a special effort to stop communicating with each other, so we can have some conversation. — Mark Twain One of my favorite Aretha Franklin songs is “Call Me” (1970), where she poignantly sings to the person she loves to stay connected while they are apart by calling her. And, in this … Read more
“Once upon a time, surveys were a staple for every leader to solicit feedback and every company to assess engagement. But now, surveys are starting to look like diesel trucks collecting dust in the age of electric cars.” — Scott Judd, Eric O’Rourke, and Adam Grant in The Harvard Business Review, March 14, 2018 [1] … Read more
“I was taught to think about mission and people. Mission. What are you trying to accomplish? Don’t do anything until you know what the mission is.” General (Retired) Colin Powell It seems so obvious, doesn’t it? “Don’t do anything until you know what the mission is….”. And yet, very few leaders I have known in … Read more
The development of strong mutual accountability is one of the most significant stages of the cultural development of an organization. Dave Logan, John King, and Halee Fischer-Wright describe the stages of accountability and explain how we, as people, are essentially tribal in their book, Tribal Leadership. The authors developed the book as the result of … Read more
