Tag Archive: organizational success

How to Change an Organization

The difference between great and average, when it comes to organizations, isn’t simply efficiency or effectiveness, it’s culture. Great organizations have great cultures. “The context in which people work shapes them.” Brook Manville. But… Continue reading →

Leadership’s Greatest Value

Problems are giant black holes that capture focus, drain vitality, and divert resources. Solving problems seduces leaders away from future opportunities causing them to focus on past inadequacies. Problems that threaten organizations must be… Continue reading →

The Danger of Aspirations

Foolish leaders permit aspirations to minimize affirmations. Affirmations encourage and motivate by pointing to progress and success. On the other hand, aspirations say we aren’t there yet. Aspirations set targets; affirmations celebrate achievement.… Continue reading →

How to Pop the Cork on Tough Conversations

If excellence was easy there’d be more of it. Excellence challenges average. The path to excellence is paved with tough conversations; not mean, tough. All great leaders achieve excellence by facing tough issues… Continue reading →

The Second Question

Image source Managers first ask, “How can we best leverage current resources to achieve desired ends?” The second question is, “What do team members love doing – within the parameters of desired ends?” People… Continue reading →

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 →