A key component of providing focus to an organization calls for leaders to identify "strategic imperatives" or "must-do's." There is only so much we can all give our attention to, so we need to ensure that we're aiming at high improvement targets that really matter.
Read article »Designing statements, putting them into action and consistently showing what the organization stands for.
Read article »Examples from history illustrate the importance of seeing the potential of new ideas.
Read article »When our work is part of a deeper life calling we put our heart into it. Our work becomes our contribution to making this team, this organization, and this world just a little better because we passed this way.
Read article »Today's tools have changed and our society is organized differently. But the human habits and characteristics that determine our success with today's tools and society haven't changed.
Read article »Both management and leadership are needed to make teams and organizations successful. Trying to decide which is most important is like trying to decide whether the right or left wing is more important to an airplane's flight.
Read article »The 3 Ps — picture or preferred future, principles, and purpose — are critically important. Our answers to three basic questions define the team and/or organizational culture we are trying to create.
Read article »We have found that customer and partner focus can be boiled down to these three broad steps: Identify current customers and partners, prioritize expectations, and gap analysis.
Read article »First, we need to accept that our frenzied pace of change is the new "normal." Then we must help others in our company understand why this is the case and become energized by the exciting possibilities offered by change.
Read article »Thermostat leaders believe they can make a difference, they work to define and create what could be rather than just reflecting what is. Thermometer managers put the blame on their circumstances for poor results.
Read article »Customer-focused organizations build internal communication processes around the valuable players that deal directly with the public.
Read article »The tyranny of the urgent lies in its distortion of priorities. So we've got to choose — from all our long-range options, alternatives, and possibilities — to establish short-term goals and priorities.
Read article »The paradox to be managed is: Companies that exist only to produce a profit don't last long and companies that don't pay attention to profits can't exist to fulfill their long-term purpose.
Read article »Highly effective leaders energize others by noticing and recognizing the field of wheat. They thank, appreciate, recognize, and celebrate accomplishments. We all draw a lot of energy from sincere recognition and honest appreciation.
Read article »Leadership is emotional. Leadership deals with feelings. Leadership is made up of dreams, inspiration, excitement, desire, pride, care, passion, and love. The areas of our lives where we show the strongest leadership.
Read article »Progress towards your vision, values, purpose and goals by stepping back to step ahead. Savor and celebrate your success.
Read article »Process re-engineering is a powerful tool in a larger improvement effort, outside in.
Read article »Our leadership development choices raise us up or drag us down. Our development is our choice. Those accumulated choices prepare us to take advantage of unexpected opportunities or weaken our abilities and set us up to be victims of change.
Read article »Many of the symptoms and root causes of motivation and morale can be clarified by understanding the doing versus being aspects of mobilizing and energizing. We need to get beyond "do to" programs and techniques.
Read article »The moose represents an issue that everyone knows is a problem but isn't being addressed. People are trying to carry on as if things are normal.
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