Holly Green
Have you ever wondered why the head of a baseball team is called the manager and the head of a basketball team is called the coach? (These are the kinds of things I sometimes ponder on long airplane rides.) The answer has to do not just with the obvious differences between the two sports, but…
We think we see a lot more of the world around us than we actually do. That’s just one of six illusions that profoundly influence our ability to lead organizations.
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…
Want to eliminate excellence in your organization? Then make sure to not do these five things.
Thirty years ago, Tom Peters published an incredibly influential business book, In Search of Excellence. In it, he defined eight characteristics of excellent companies: a bias for action, staying close to the customer, autonomy and entrepreneurship, productivity through people, clear and compelling organizational values, focusing on what you do best, operating with a lean staff,…
Success in business is a wonderful thing. But it’s also a double-edged sword. As companies experience success, their emphasis tends to shift to protecting and maintaining the status quo versus considering new opportunities and products. Unfortunately, clinging to what has worked in the past puts the brakes on innovation. It also puts you out of…
Here’s some interesting news. According to the Department of Labor, unemployment fell for a fourth month in a row. The current rate of 8.5% represents its lowest point at any time in the past three years. Leading indicators also show that the economy continues to grow. Granted, it isn’t creating jobs as quickly as we…
As business leaders, everything we do should focus on setting our organizations up to win. But we can’t do it all ourselves. Which means we also need to get our employees obsessive and relentless about winning – a task much easier said than done. If you’re struggling to build a winning attitude in your organization,…
2012 is almost upon us. And I have some good news and some bad news in regards to the year ahead. The bad news? If you think you’re running fast now, get yourself some new track shoes, because the world isn’t slowing down. In fact, it will continue to go faster and get more complex…
Everyone knows that innovation means coming up with the next great idea in your industry, right? Actually, there’s a lot more to it than that. Test your ability to separate innovation fact from fiction by answering the following questions true or false: Innovation is the act of coming up with new and creative ideas. Innovation…
Seeking out new and different sources of information can enhance your innovative efforts. It’s also a fun way to recognize and celebrate one of our most cherished holidays.
