“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” — Alan Kay, computer scientist Self-managed volunteer hackers pool their skills every day on the Internet. Thousands of solo programmers compete to build software that’s bought by companies with whom they have little or no contact. Open … [Read more...] about Open Source Innovation & Other Weird Ideas That Work
Search Results for: leader
Great Expectations: The Boss/Direct Report Tango
What should a leader expect from a direct report and what can the latter expect from the leader in return? When both parties have clear expectations, the relationship is smooth like a tango. If one person gets out of step, however, the ensuing relationship makes for discord. While much has … [Read more...] about Great Expectations: The Boss/Direct Report Tango
Things That Get in the Way of Executive Coaching
Too many executives receive poor or no coaching. They miss opportunities to become more effective in their positions of influence and are often denied promotions they deserve. Some leaders struggle in their careers, failing to recognize that hiring an executive coach can help them enormously. … [Read more...] about Things That Get in the Way of Executive Coaching
The Costs of Ego
“Ego is the invisible line item on every company’s profit and loss statement.” —David Marcum and Steven Smith in egonomics: What Makes Ego Our Greatest Asset (or Most Expensive Liability), Fireside, 2007 Fifty-three percent of businesspeople estimate ego costs their company 6 to 15 percent of … [Read more...] about The Costs of Ego
Executive Engagement: Managing Energy With Stories
“To be fully engaged in our lives, we must be physically energized, emotionally connected, mentally focused, and spiritually aligned with a purpose beyond our immediate self-interest.” — Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, The Power of Full Engagement (2003) Executives strive to sustain high … [Read more...] about Executive Engagement: Managing Energy With Stories
Mindset: Why Executives Thrive…Or Barely Survive
Mindset shapes our mental world, influences our outlook, determines the scope of our goals, and ultimately sets us on a path of growth and fulfillment—or one of stagnation. Executive suites are filled with high achievers who boast high IQs and stellar accomplishments. Still, some stagnate, while … [Read more...] about Mindset: Why Executives Thrive…Or Barely Survive
The End of Management as We Know It
Management is out of date. The principles upon which we run companies haven’t evolved to keep pace with the rapid changes of 21st-century business needs. Most companies continue to operate on management principles formulated in the last century and based on manufacturing needs. Like the … [Read more...] about The End of Management as We Know It
Judgment: Making Great Calls
What is the fundamental essence of leadership? Is it the ability to make consistently good judgment calls? Realistically, leaders are remembered for their best and worst judgment calls, especially when the stakes are high, information is limited and the correct call is far from obvious. In the … [Read more...] about Judgment: Making Great Calls
The Business Case for Happy Companies
There is no doubt that business success depends on highly motivated employees. Highly motivated employees multiply in organizations whose missions, leaders, and inner workings provide profound meaning and inspiration. —Warren Bennis, Distinguished Professor, Marshall School of Business, … [Read more...] about The Business Case for Happy Companies
No More Jerks at Work: Preventing Desk Rage
It’s a sign of the times when a well-known Stanford professor and best-selling author publishes a book titled The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t (Warner Business Books, 2007). Robert I. Sutton argues that variations of terms like creep, jerk and bully … [Read more...] about No More Jerks at Work: Preventing Desk Rage