Holly Green
Many people see innovation as a mystifying process that requires blinding flashes of creative insight to come up with new products that change the world. In reality, there’s nothing mysterious about it. As defined in the dictionary, innovation is simply “making changes in something established, especially by introducing new methods, ideas, or products.” Those blinding…
People in your organization are killing innovation without even knowing it. Find out how, and what you can do about it.
Not long ago, Car and Driver Magazine conducted a test to compare normal driver braking times against “impaired” braking conditions, such as drinking, texting, or checking email while driving. The test involved a driver going 70 miles per hour (on a straight course) who was instructed to hit the brakes as soon as he saw…
To test your mental acuity, answer the following questions (no peeking at the answers!): Johnny’s mother had three children. The first child was named April. The second child was named May. What was the third child’s name? A clerk at a butcher shop stands five feet ten inches tall and wears size 13 sneakers. What…
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…
Think your job has changed significantly over the past decade or two? Compound that with the complexity of leading an entire organization! Previous generations of leaders could at least count on a reasonably stable world, where change unfolded at a much slower pace. These days, the past is increasingly less predictive, the future is almost…
Have you ever had a meeting that didn’t work out quite as planned? Where everyone agreed to a specific course of action and two weeks later you discover that what they’ve been working on doesn’t come close to your vision of what should happen? When these situations arise, we usually blame poor communication. We didn’t…
Recently I wrote about the dangers of relying on conventional wisdom to make critical business decisions. I thought it would be fun to look at some actual examples from over the years. This “telephone” has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to…
A while back I wrote a blog about resilience being one of the most important qualities for today’s leaders. A number of readers agreed with me, and one went on to point out another very important leadership trait that often gets overlooked – empathy. Most people don’t associate the word “empathy” with effective leadership. Business…
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…
At the end of last year, I wrote about the need to put the old strategic planning model out to pasture and embrace a new method that focuses on developing strategic agility. Here’s why this is so critical. At its core, strategic planning involves a process of analysis. You do some research into what is…
