“The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” – Theodore Roosevelt I was fortunate enough recently to have the opportunity to assist the leaders of a 120+ year-old business that was … Read more
“Not to decide is to decide.” – Harvey Cox I talk to a lot of leaders who say that “being decisive” is a key trait of a leader. I’m not sure exactly what they mean by that. The dictionary says that the word decisive means “settling an issue” or “producing a definite result”, or “having … Read more
“My favorite things in life don’t cost any money. It’s really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time.” – Steve Jobs People talk constantly about how busy they are. For some people it’s a badge of honor, as though being busy is the ultimate goal in life. For others it’s a … Read more
“The world changes in direct proportion to the number of people willing to be honest about their lives.” – Armistead Maupin Last week in the is space, the conversation was about letting go of what’s worked in the past in favor of what can work in the future. That’s a hard thing to do. And … Read more
“When you’re through changing, you’re through.” – Bruce Fairchild Barton One of the most challenging things leaders have to deal with is what I call a “legacy of success”. Leading an organization with a long history of high achievement sounds like it should be a great thing. It usually means a solid foundation of people, … Read more
“There exists in the world a single path along which no one can go except you: wither does it lead? Do not ask, go along it.” – Friedrich Nietzsche One of the marks of a great leader is the willingness to ask for and accept help from others. Regardless of the topic – people, products, … Read more
“If you’re the boss and your people fight you openly when they think that you are wrong – that’s healthy.” – Robert Townsend One of the struggles that many people in leadership roles face on a regular basis is a lack of honesty. It’s not because leaders are surrounded by people who are habitual liars. … Read more
“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Almost everyone likes to brag about their work ethic, or at least likes to feel pretty good about it. I can’t remember the last time I heard a leader say “Boy, I sure don’t work very … Read more
“Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.” – Elbert Hubbard Normally in this space we’re talking about leadership, or change, or some kind of challenge we face in our organizations. Today is a little different. It’s still about a challenge, but that challenge is of a completely different … Read more
“Once we choose hope, anything is possible.” – Christopher Reeve I try not to write blog posts about the same topic over and over, but as I write this today I’m still thinking about last week’s topic. Our attitudes and beliefs don’t just influence our happiness, or how we feel on a given day. They … Read more
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