We’ve been exploring the impact of different cultures and how they affect our organizations. W hat are the common threads shared by these radically different cultures that you can apply to make your company equally successful?“Lary, give this customer a call. We’ve just received an unauthorized return, and I want…
There’s more emphasis every day on the value and influence of culture on business success. W hat does it mean if your culture is dysfunctional and your employees think it’s a train wreck?"He threw a lead crystal ashtray at his son’s head?“ I asked. ”Thank God he missed."“He threw his…
You’ve developed common practices you take for granted. B ut, when was the last time you examined whether those “good practices" still represent “best practices"? Do you punt on fourth down because you always do? Several years ago when my father was in his final days, his bonhomie in full…
This may seem like a very strange blog post for a site dedicated to leadership. But not really. N ot if you’re committed to managing your life, controlling your day and fighting for what you believe. Recently, I saw a profile of Sylvester Stallone and, serendipitously, stumbled across several articles…
Car jack. Nail clippers. Claw Hammer. Teeter-totter. Tweezers. Nutcracker. Scissors. W hat do these devices all have in common? They create leverage, a simple but extraordinary force that increases the power of everything to which it is applied. (Whenever a word is underlined with a dotted line, there is an…
There's nothing more important ... or more challenging ... than the need to balance short-term results with long-range plans. H ow is your organization focused? Are you encouraging long-range thinking or only what happens this week? Do you have the Attention Span of a Mosquito? How many times have we asked Are…
It's the heart of the college football season and there are valuable lessons we can learn from the most successful programs.You don’t have to be a football fan to embrace them. They are timeless lessons that apply to any business.“Who’s walking on my field?”You’re lugging 40 pounds on your back in…
Start your own fires. Begin the burn so your ideas catch fire and spread throughout the organization. I t takes 3 ingredients to start and sustain a fire. Make sure you’ve got all 3 ready to go when you launch your next plan.Fire has been around since before Prometheus stole…
As leaders, we continually encounter issues over which we have no control. U ncertainty hovers over our plans. We can do something about it by focusing only on what WE can control. Did you know there is an Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS)? It was developed in 1994 by a…