During the Roman republic, the river Rubicon marked the boundary between the Roman province of Cisalpine Gaul to the north-east and Italy proper to the south. The river distinguished not only the geographic boundaries for the province but also the military restrictions for governors and magistrates. Therefore, rulers required generals to disband their armies before entering Italy, and if a […]
Are You Tough Enough to Cross the Rubicon? Read More »
In virtually every industry, productivity ebbs and flows, depending on myriad factors. When we see these fluctuations, we rightly conclude that they have occurred because of an increase or decrease in employment engagement. We also hear countless suggestions for getting this right—for correcting the ebbs and banking on the flows. Now it’s time to challenge
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Conquerors tend not to enjoy a laudable place in the history books, but they do offer lessons in how to get more without settling for less. Pilots refer to PNR—the point of no return. This technical term in air navigation refers to the point in a flight at which, due to fuel consumption, a plane
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When people talk about the inner contradictions of an organization, they frequently refer to “culture,” that omnipresent word that describes all pleasant and unpleasant by-products of decisions. But they seldom identify the real problem—the decisions that create the traps. Here are ten examples of how that happens: People don’t realize that their decisions create the
Are You Creating Your Own Culture Traps? Read More »
If you played sports in school, did the coach play everyone equally? Create an egalitarian form of governance in which each person had a say? Or, did the stars, the one who had the innate athletic ability and drive to put it into action receive a disproportionate amount of playing time and the coach’s attention?
Ten Ways to Mentor Clever People Read More »
In September chief executive Jeff Smisek, and two senior officials of United Airlines stepped down in response to a federal investigation into whether the airline had traded favors with the chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The scandal involved United agreeing to reinstate money-losing flights to the airport nearest the
Just Say “No” to Interim CEOs Read More »
Each year clients hire me to help them make tough decisions, but in the process, I learn as much as they do. Some of the things I discovered this year reinforced lessons I discovered previously, but every year brings surprises too. Here are my recommended New Year’s resolutions for anyone who wants to improve a
Business Resolutions for 2016 Read More »
When leaders continually and constantly grapple with tough questions and develop a list of standards that serves as more than a pretty poster, their beliefs serve as the bedrock of the organization’s strategy and provide guidelines about how and what to change. When beliefs veer from espoused values and create a dysfunctional or confusing set
Four Things You Can’t Ignore When Making Tough Calls Read More »
When we silence the fears in our heads, we clear the way for more dispassionate, rational thinking. That allows us to shift from a fear mentality (there will never be enough) to one of fortitude (I have plenty, or at least enough) to be successful/ happy/respected/financially stable. A mindset shift leads to better calls, but
Last month Syracuse University decided to pull its “kiss cam” after fan Steve Port wrote to complain that the common staple at sports venues “sends the wrong message at a time when colleges are fighting against sexual assault.” He claims he was just “out to raise an important issue.” That’s all it took, one
Let’s Outlaw Mistletoe Read More »
