5 Signs You’re Not As Smart As You Think
5 Signs You’re Not As Smart As You Think-- My question is this: Is your intellect an asset or liability? All one has to do is watch a very bright person defend their position to understand what I'm driving at with today's post. Observing intelligent people lecture, spin, posture, position, cajole, argue, rationalize, or justify their beliefs in order to "get the win" is oftentimes entertaining,…
Does Size Really Matter?
Does size really matter? Should you go big or go home, or does quality win out over quantity? The fascination business leaders have with size has always both intrigued yet perplexed me. Is empire building and the pursuit of category dominance a healthy thing, or the corporate equivalent of the road to Perdition? I’ll frame the debate – you decide. It should be obvious to all; an enterprise not…
No Excuses = Real Leadership
Leaders don’t offer, nor do they accept excuses. Real leadership demands the character to demonstrate personal responsibility for one’s actions, and the courage to hold others accountable for theirs. Excuses attempt to conceal personal or professional insecurities, laziness, and/or lack of ability. They accomplish nothing but to distract, dilute, and deceive. It was Benjamin Franklin who said,…
15 Ways to Identify Bad Leadership Qualities
Bad Leadership Qualities: 15 Ways to Identify Bad Leaders It’s important to realize that just because someone holds a leadership position doesn’t necessarily mean they should. Put another way; not all leaders are created equal. Many organizations are suffering from a recognition problem – they can’t seem to recognize good leaders from bad ones. In today's column, I’ll address identifying bad…
Big Data – Not All Metrics Are Created Equal
When it works, Big Data can be a beautiful thing - what organization wouldn't want more actionable information with which to feed better data driven decisions in the quest for a competitive advantage? But in the race to acquire Big Data, leaders can easily wander off course with devastating results. According to EMC (disclosure: client), only about 1/3 of companies are able to effectively use Big…
The #1 Reason CEO Successions Fail
With all eyeballs on Marissa Mayer at Yahoo and Tim Cook at Apple, CEO succession is a hot topic these days – and rightly so. Few things adversely impact corporate culture, shareholder value, or brand equity like a failed CEO. In today’s column, I’ll share the most common reason for failed CEO successions. Given the obvious importance of leadership from the top, what always amazes me is the…
6 Steps for Creating a Game Changer
At one time or another, all great leaders experience something so big and so impactful it literally changes the landscape – it’s what I call a “Game Changer.” A game changer is that ah-ha moment where you see something others don’t. It’s the transformational magic that takes organizations from ordinary to exceptional. In today’s column, I’ll provide you with a blueprint for manufacturing ah-ha…
Leadership, Influence & Relationships
Have you ever wondered why some people have more influence than others? It's because they invest more "in" others. Those with leadership influence have built into others through some form of a consistent direct or indirect contribution to relationships. Those with the greatest amount of influence almost always have the strongest relationships. My hypothesis is a rather simple one: If true…
Successful Leadership Requires The Right Order Of Operation
Ever heard the following statement? “Focus on the what, not the how.” While this may appear to be sage advice, it’s actually quite the opposite. I find it troubling at two levels: Firstly, it’s a horribly incorrect and incomplete message. Secondly, far too many people in leadership positions seem perfectly content to follow this bad advice. In today’s column, I’ll share the reasons underpinning…
Why Your Leadership Is Overrated
How are your leadership skills? Likely not as good as you think. There’s no shortage of independent empirical data generated over the years supporting the fact most people tend to overrate their leadership ability. The best leaders the world has ever known had room for improvement – so do you. I've always said leaders need to get over themselves and get on to the practice of leadership. In…
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