In a prior posting my business partner, Debra Bowles, expressed the courage it took to speak her small “t” truth in front of her executive peers in response to a CEO’s inquiry. I am often struck by the use of the word courage in business today and … [Read more...]
The Power of the small “t” truth
I was raised to respect authority, almost to a fault, and my Dad spoke most of the Truth in our family. I was a senior executive in a large organization for 14 years and there was much Truth spoken with great belief and force. I am intentionally … [Read more...]
When Leading Change, There is No End Zone
Doing change work there always comes a point early on, when structural changes have been announced and are almost complete, that someone will say, “Okay, the change is done. Now let’s get back to business.” This is the moment when I tell them (after … [Read more...]
Change Leadership
I had an exchange with a leader a while back in which he stated, “I can’t wait until things get back to normal around here.” I asked him what he meant. He said, “Well, once we get done with all this ‘change stuff’ and get back to our jobs.” If there … [Read more...]
Tapping into the “Adjacent Possible”
There was a terrific piece in the WSJ on Saturday. In an excerpt from the soon to be published Where Good ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation, Steven Johnson writes about “the adjacent possible.” “The phrase captures both the limits … [Read more...]
On Embracing Change
Today, President Obama signed into law a bill that reforms America’s health care system. Regardless of which side of the political spectrum you may occupy, this is significant change. We’ll leave the political debate to another time and place. I’d … [Read more...]
More on Change
The dominant topic for our clients in all verticals at the moment is change. This is the overriding business imperative all are facing: The way we work is changing. How do we lead change rather than react to it? There are three essential components … [Read more...]
Great vision – Check. Smart strategy – Check. Operational excellence – Oops! Mind the gap!
A well-crafted vision and strategy without a game plan and capacity for smart and fast execution are useless. This is the gap that keeps many organizations from realizing their vision. One leader told me, “We’re great at meetings; but nothing gets … [Read more...]