Who is on your short list of successors? As a CEO, if you’re not sure of the answer to that question, you are placing your organization at significant risk. While it’s all too easy to think our tenure will last forever and there’s no one good enough to take our place, the ego must be Read More >

When asked the question, “How good is your company at showing thanks/recognition to its employees?” more than half of those surveyed believe they do a great job. A very significant percentage of their employees, however, would beg to differ. And, much of that is due to the fact that companies (as a generalization) do not Read More >

John and Sara work at company XYZ. John has a great group of people working for him. Sara also has a great group of people working with her. More often than not, John’s people achieve their deliverables on schedule while Sara’s team has received several awards for projects that have come in on schedule and Read More >

Large and in charge. That’s the persona of the average CEO. They are the eloquent ones, with the power to reach and move others. Some might even be called good communicators. Yet, this may be an inaccurate moniker. After all, effective communication means more than just talking. It means listening, too; and often better than Read More >

The truth about fears is that it’s hard for people to admit to having them. This is especially true of the seemingly impenetrable and infallible people who become senior leaders and CEOs. So, we instead look for other reasons to explain our hesitations. “I’m passing up on this merger because the corporate cultures won’t merge Read More >

What is your confidence level? In answering this question, what are the factors you would consider? How willing you are to put yourself out there? To go for what you want? To lead others? One of the couple of definitions belonging to confidence is “the state of feeling certain about the truth of something,” so Read More >

There was a great book written by William Ury and Roger Fisher titled “Getting to Yes: Negotiating an Agreement without Giving In.” It’s one of those books that tends to find its way into business school classrooms and even boardrooms around the world. While its first edition was written way back in 1981, it’s stood Read More >

These days, it’s not at all hard to find a blog, article, or social media post encouraging you to “do what you’re passionate about.” They say to quit your job and go after what you love because life is too short, or some variation of that school of thought. And, to a degree, they’re right. Read More >

There is something powerful about our ability to ask questions, especially when we ask them of ourselves. In his article on the topic, psychology journalist, Steven Handel, says, “the truth is that questions can help us begin thinking in new ways, which can then help us find answers that aren’t immediately apparent. The majority of Read More >

When you hear the word ‘creativity,’ what comes to mind? Paintbrushes and canvas? Pens and paper? Needles and thread? While these objects are related to creativity, they are merely tools. The ability (or inability) to use them does not define one’s level of creativity. Creativity, as it’s defined, is “the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, Read More >