Chef and author Anthony Bourdain, in his bestselling book Kitchen Confidential says: “I've long believed that good food, good eating, is all about risk.” And isn’t that what innovation is about? Innovation is nothing if not an opportunity for greatness. But at some level an organization’s will to innovate, and certainly its ability to execute…
Brainstorming in business is garnering tough criticism in media circles lately, including in a new book by Susan Cain titled, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. Cain and others are critical of what they see as an over-reliance on brainstorming— and with limited results.…
Let’s face it; learning to execute innovation effectively is difficult. I think it’s this way mainly because it tends to be misleadingly simple. It reminds me of a problem I was given by a professor back in college, Curry’s Paradox. On the surface, at first glance, it looks simple and un-fantastic. Then as you start…
It is true that many employees go south because of bad management. After all, you wouldn’t intentionally hire people with obviously poor mindsets, would you? We’d guess not. Regardless, a time comes in every leader’s life when they must liberate a few bad employees to pursue dreams elsewhere. You know the people we are talking…
On Sunday, February 26, America’s hottest celebrities will walk the red carpet in celebration of fashion, film and speeches during the 84th Annual Academy Awards. A highly anticipated event, the Oscars are a moment of extreme pride and self-fulfillment for stars like George Clooney or Meryl Streep — a culmination of their year’s work in…
There is a hard truth about leadership development that many practitioners in this field prefer to ignore: Much of the work done promoting a particular set of leadership practices or competencies
is for naught because it fails to influence the leader’s thinking. It falls on deaf ears. Workshop facilitators and leadership coaches may as well save…
At a board meeting of a top 10 multinational corporation, the question of whether to invest $80 million in a project in an African country was discussed. The president of the company subsidiary seeking the board’s approval insisted that the country was a safe place to invest because of its recent history of economic and…
When organizations launch innovation initiatives, they focus almost all of their time and energy on that initial one percent — the thrilling hunt for the breakthrough idea. They draw guidance from countless books, articles and training programs that treat innovation as though it is synonymous with creativity.…
Roman philosopher, Seneca, wrote “Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.” Going to work is a high-pressure business! Between the state of economic challenges, your personal issues and family concerns—it’s easy to overlook the value of a forgotten virtue called courage (and its intrinsic value). Most people never even think of this “big”…
Everyone loves to talk innovation. The trouble is sometimes there is too much talk, and not enough action. Potential projects wither on the vine and companies remain in stasis. The problem lies not in ideation – there are plenty of great ideas out there. It is management of those ideas, specifically turning those ideas into…
Your brand's success, or failure, is predicated on the people that represent and define it; the people who reflect and deliver that brand every day and at every moment.…
While coaching is a highly effective way of accelerating your development as a leader, it also represents a significant investment of time and money. Here are fourteen ways to get the most out of your leadership coaching experience.…
Let’s face it. Sometimes we are going to mess up. The best of us make mistakes, make bad decisions, overlook important details or take on tasks we are not qualified to accomplish. Certainly, we should take steps to prevent errors when possible. Many leadership training programs teach us to anticipate problems, identify potential “choke points,”…
