Holly Green
Last week I wrote about how disruptive innovation from mobile technologies is turning the banking industry upside down. Now it’s higher education’s turn. As a parent footing the bill for a college student, I say it’s about time! An article in the Wall Street Journal reports that since 1990, the cost of attending college has…
Confabulate. Isn’t that a delightful word! The first time I heard it I thought it must be a sniglet, a term coined by comedian Rich Hall in the ˜80s. Loosely defined as “any word that isn’t in the dictionary but should be,” sniglets usually involve a clever play on two or more words to humorously…
Every once in a while a book comes along that really shakes up your thinking. I recently read such a book and then had the good fortune of sitting down and talking with the author. “Flash Foresight: How to See the Invisible and Do the Impossible,” by Daniel Burrus, redefines what is possible in the…
Great leaders think strategically. They can understand and appreciate the current state as well as see possibilities. When dealing with today’s issues, they operate from a broad, long-term perspective rather than focusing only on short-term implications. And they can gather information and make decisions in a timely manner. Most of all, strategic leaders know how…
What would you do if your best customer closed the account and went to your biggest competitor? (And no, jumping off a cliff is not an option!) Seriously, what would happen if your key suppliers suddenly tripled their prices? How would you respond if a new technology made your current business model obsolete overnight? What…
It’s that time of year again. And, no, I’m not referring to Christmas shopping. It’s only September, for gosh sake! I’m talking about strategic planning. This is the time of year to pause for a bit longer than usual and think and about what winning will look like next year. It’s when we peer into…
It’s hard to beat experience, strength and knowledge, right? Try telling that to the Los Angeles Lakers. Conventional wisdom said the Lakers were primed to win their third consecutive NBA title this year. They had a tall, dominating front line with Gasol, Bynum and Odom. Their coach had won more championships than any other NBA…
I recently came across a very interesting book that provides convincing evidence that we’re all more human than we think, including the experts we turn to for political and economic advice. Expert Political Judgment, by Philip Tetlock, a psychologist who teaches at the University of California, Berkeley, presents findings from a nearly 20-year project in…
Are you overwhelmed by how fast the world moves these days? Does it seem like everything is getting more complicated? Do you sometimes feel like you might be out of your league when it comes to leading an organization in today’s chaotic markets? Welcome to business leadership in the 21st century. Technology was supposed to…
As a business consultant, behavioral scientist, and keynote speaker, much of what I talk about runs counterintuitive to conventional leadership thinking. I constantly urge business leaders to slow down to go fast. Unlearn to learn. Stop making stuff up (or at least be aware when you are). Regularly challenge what you think you know about…
Have you ever noticed how when people talk about what lies ahead we always say the future? As if there is one, and only one, immutable future that will come to pass. Fact is, there are an unlimited number of possible futures, and it’s up to us to create the one we want. This is…
Those who follow my blog or have heard me speak to business groups and conventions know that I constantly talk about the dangers of MSU, or making stuff up. Making stuff up occurs when we listen to the thought bubbles inside our heads that tell us the world must be a certain way; when we…
