Category Archive: Leading

On Unicorns and Fairy Dust

I’ve rejected the “savior-leader” model but still feel pressure to be one. Savior-leaders arrive on unicorns and solve problems by sprinkling fairy dust over people and organizations. Poof! Everything is magically fixed. Internal: Internal… Continue reading

The Secret to Adaptive Cultures

Have you noticed this hypocrisy in yourself or people in your organization? Out of one side of our mouths we say, “We love new ideas.” Out of the other we say, “We hate… Continue reading

Bad is Stronger than Good

If the world naturally drifted upward like hot-air balloons, leaders and leadership would be irrelevant. People wore rose colored glasses in the 60’s when they thought drugs and “free love” would create a… Continue reading

Secrets to Building Great Leaders

If you plan to achieve great things you must develop great leaders. How to fail: The break-fix model seldom develops greatness. The break-fix model is problem-centric and backward-facing. Break-fix works for systems and… Continue reading

7 Ways to Identify Great Advice

  Few things are more dissatisfying and unfulfilling as adapting your inner compass to others. If you don’t know who you areyou’ll become someone else. You’ve accepted your own inner compass when you lose… Continue reading

Destroy Silos Before They Destroy You

I asked an elected official to share his impressions of the political process. Without hesitation he said, “It’s disappointing that the Democrats and Republicans are sitting in separate rooms figuring out how to… Continue reading