The people part of business operations.
Charles D. Morgan, CEO, PrivacyStar – Author, Matters of Life and Data I’ve been a CEO for nearly 40 years, and whenever anyone asks me what’s the most important thing I’ve learned about building successful companies, I answer with two words: corporate culture. Leadership is about what you do, not what you say, and a […]
What I’ve Learned About Being A CEO Read More »
Jeremy Bodenhamer, CEO of ShipHawk The online shopping cart is the essential technology that allows us to indulge in products, apparel and decor as quickly as we can click. While filling it up takes mere seconds, the act of actually purchasing the items we put in it can bring about a flurry of regret and
Shaping Up Your Company’s Shipping Practices Read More »
Ethics brings to mind dusty volumes of impenetrable text, heated arguments that go nowhere, and an overbearing concern with political correctness. But my thirty years as an ethics consultant has taught me something different. Ethics is really about releasing the forces of innovation in an organization. The reason for this is simple. To have ethics
Ethics Feeds Innovation Read More »
Most people are wired to thrive in either high-velocity change environments or steady-as-she-goes maintenance environments – rarely both. The trouble with transformational change is that, generally speaking, it affects everyone. If the secret to driving structural change is rigorous management, the secret to driving people change is emotional engagement. This work begins with a stakeholder
Putting it all Together to Ensure a Successful Transformation Read More »
TV shows like Scandal and Ray Donovan have glamorized “fixers,” people who swoop in, handle crises and solve problems. However, I have found that fixers don’t always make the best leaders. In fact, CEOs and business leaders that are fixers may be unintentionally creating a dysfunctional team dynamic. Fixers are focused on putting out fires
Fixers aren’t leaders Read More »
Peter Senge nailed it in his seminal book, The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization (1990), when he pointed out that the gravity of the status quo is overwhelmingly more powerful than the drive to change. We have seen leaders and teams get excited about and articulate a future state,
Spotlight on execution: What it really takes to get transformation done Read More »
By Craig W. Ross A common misconception is that consensus is needed among team members to drive high performance. The Rolling Stones were on to something when they sang, “you can’t always get what you want.” But I’ve found that focusing on team collaboration, rather than consensus, helps companies actually get what they need. What’s
Collaboration vs Consensus: You can’t always get what you want Read More »
The latest edition of HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” features a story about the “trophy culture” of youth sports—the awarding of a trophy to any child who participates in an organized athletic activity. Actually, “participates” is too stringent a standard in one Los Angeles youth soccer organization. According to the organization’s commissioner, anyone whose
The “Trophy Culture” of Employee Engagement Read More »
I love the presidential primary season. Most Americans say they hate it, but I love it for Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee, and even Bernie Sanders and his 90% tax proposal. The Donald is used to saying whatever he wants, whenever he wants to say it. So in his speech to announce his “candidacy”
Why I Love the Presidential Primary Season: So Many Lessons to be Learned Read More »
We create organizational cultures as we go along, sometimes consciously, often unconsciously—but always through decisions. When leaders decide to build a powerhouse of excellence, they start by asking themselves what needs to change and what should stay the same. When companies embrace a change orientation, they consider innovation as part of that culture, not a
Create a Powerhouse Read More »
