Category Archive: Book Notes

Three Surprising Secrets to Moving People

All leaders move people. Moving people begins when you understand them, not when they understand you. Daniel Pink believes the ability to move people begins with attunement. “Attunement is the ability to bring… Continue reading

Assumptions – Asking the Obvious

Testing assumptions makes you look stupid or misinformed. “You can be perfectly clear and perfectly wrong.” Karen Martin, “The Outstanding Organization.” Assumptions are unquestioned “truths.” Everyone knows the answer to the obvious. Why… Continue reading

One Thing All Outstanding Organizations Do

Aspiration is useless, on its own. You aspire to excellence, success, and fulfillment. Big deal. Who doesn’t? Aspiration apart from definition, method, and means is life lived by blind hope and dumb luck. Furthermore,… Continue reading

Seeking and Seeing Breakthrough Moments

Hate surprises? Plan on staying the same. Surprises propel into the future or drive into the past. Problem is, surprise signals uncertainty. Organizations hate uncertainty. Extraordinary leaders realize surprise is a catalyst not… Continue reading

So You Screwed Up …

Few things change us more than mistakes. Sadly, mistakes make people feel dumb, even though they are the path to wisdom. Not making mistakes is worse than making them. Sometimes the best way to… Continue reading

How to Get What You Want

It takes conviction, candor, and, most importantly, courage to push against the boss or the board. Managers who can’t stand up and push back are inevitably pushed around and down. Yesterday, I talked… Continue reading