Category Archive: Leading

How to Fulfill Leadership’s First Responsibility

Fear hopes monsters go away. Courage grabs them by the throat. “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality.” Max De Pree The movie, Apollo 13, made the phrase, “Houston, we… Continue reading

Why Fitting In Doesn’t Work

Leaders choose to emphasize people or organization. The former celebrate individuality, the later accentuate fitting in. One fits the people to the program; the other fits the program to the people. Both are… Continue reading

Ten Tips for Overcoming Discouragement

Bubbly people drive me crazy. They’re out of touch with themselves, others, and the world. Leaders who never feel discouraged are incomprehensible. *** Don’t trust anyone who’s always happy, excited, or pleased with… Continue reading

Failure of The Pudding Palace

The Pudding Palace never made a ripple on the business scene. Poof! It appeared. Poof! It vanished. But, there it was, for a glorious moment in time, a store dedicated to pudding! Paper… Continue reading

Habits, Systems, and Playing Games at Work

The worship of busyness invites inefficiency. Efficiently doing what doesn’t matter isn’t effective. Effectiveness is asking, “What to do.” Efficiency is asking, “How to do it.” Leadership is thinking about what; management is… Continue reading

10 Power Tips for Dancing with Elephants

The more uncomfortable the conversation the more important it is. The more it matters, the tougher it is. Weak leaders choose manipulation over honest exchange. Wise leaders choose tough conversation over mediocrity. Successful… Continue reading