You’re smart. Well-educated. Doing well in your career. If it worked and was true to get you here, why rock the boat? If you are like me, there have been times in your career when some Truth (yes, with a capital “T”) that you have held onto is shown to be untrue or, at least, not as black-and-white as you … Read More
Let’s face it: being a leader is never easy, but it’s a whole different ball game during economic or political turmoil. In addition to the Wars in Ukraine and Gaza, a whipsaw election in France, unsettled issues around remote work, and mind-blowing advancements in AI coming every few months, the U.S. election got even more heated after an assassination attempt. … Read More
Not quite as obnoxious as a motivational poster, but almost. The business press, LinkedIn, podcasts, and social media influencers who pass off vapid platitudes as wisdom insist you are always supposed to strive, hustle, achieve, have a great attitude, and live your best life. If you are not, buddy, you are doing it wrong. Thank goodness they can help you … Read More
How many truly great leaders have you worked for? If you are like most of us, it’s not many. There are plenty of leaders that aren’t bad. Even some that are pretty good. But great? Few ever make it that far. That’s why there are so many books, articles, blog posts (like this one), and podcasts about leadership. It’s hard. … Read More
Once, they were unbeatable. Now, they offer cautionary tales. Sears, Blockbuster Video, Nokia, Toys R’ Us, and others were titans. What happened? Among many contributing factors, they confused leadership and management. These two terms are often used interchangeably, but they are distinctly different approaches to achieving organizational goals. Leadership and management are generally needed within an organization’s evolution and lifecycle. … Read More
“Wisdom is earned, not given.” That famous quote is from Dante. Yes, that Dante. Fair enough. But you can earn it through study, focus, and reflection. You might ask yourself, “Okay, that’s nice. But why does wisdom matter?” The greater wisdom an individual has in life and business, the less they will be swayed by emotions –one’s own or someone … Read More
My name is Neil and I used to work in Health & Safety. Not someone with a high visibility vest, hardhat, and clipboard telling people to stop doing something, more of an analyst trying to understand trends, particularly the prevention of injuries and fatalities. Why does Spain, for example, have more work-related injuries/fatalities per 100,000 workers than, say, Denmark? Maybe the … Read More
What’s your luck in getting innovation through an organization? If you are like the rest of us, the roadblocks and conflicts come fast and furious. Nothing can be as animating for people as an idea they hate. There are a lot of reasons for this. Some are valid, some so-so, others outright ludicrous. But it is the way it is. … Read More
It’s one of those skills everyone says is important, but few ever invest time or money to get better. Communication. So, rather than fight how the world actually operates, we will just give you some very quick tips on how you can improve your communication efforts with audiences internal to work. One-And-Done Doesn’t Work There is a persistent attitude that … Read More
In today’s interconnected world, effective cross-cultural leadership is more crucial than ever; business transactions span continents and team collaboration transcend borders. Much of this has been driven by technological advancements that have reduced the practical barriers as never before: Video conferencing, instant messaging platforms like WhatsApp, and translation tools such as Google Translate and ChatGPT have opened new vistas. Moreover, … Read More
