Recently I was reading a fabulous book, The Extraordinary Coach by John Zenger, which had a great analogy relative to giving feedback to employees. As you all know, I am a big believer in giving and getting feedback on a regular basis. Feedback is a gift – as cliched as this may sound. In his […]
Last night I was watching a news program relative to the ongoing saga of British Petroleum and the lack of responsiveness to the oil crisis, the passing of the mantle from Tony Hayward to Bob Dudley, and the ongoing ’20-20′ hindsight commentary of how the company’s leadership responded to the crisis. I am certain there […]
Recently I had the distinct pleasure of working with the The Center for Educational Innovation – Public Education Association (CEI-PEA), which is a New York City-based nonprofit organization that creates successful public schools and educational programs. These individuals are doing tremendous things to improve the quality of education for the 1.6 million children in the New […]
Many of my clients are ending their third quarter and embarking on Q4 or, at a minimum, coming into the second half of their fiscal year. Many are struggling to make their sales quota numbers, shore up their teams, secure the funding and resources needed, or simply unify their organizations to work more collaboratively together. They have […]
It seems that every company is embarking on a formal mentoring program. Many have met with mixed success. There was an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal not too long ago, which I thought had a few salient points to consider on this topic. Below are key points which may lead to the program […]
Last week, I read a parable which I found intoxicatingly wise. It has to do with giving generously and with no expectation. This particularly struck me, as recently a colleague was hoarding information which could have helped us all reach a collective goal; yet, this person would not share this information with anyone. I could ponder […]
I have recently read an incredible book: The Inspiring Leader by Zenger and Folkman. If you are a leader – or aspiring to be one – this is a book worth reading. One chapter which captivated me was on on the most common mistakes a leader makes when trying to inspire others. These ‘top 10’ behaviors […]
I love the New York Times’ Corner Office interviews published each Sunday morning. This past Sunday’s interview with Dan Rosensweig, president and chief executive of Chegg, was conducted and condensed by Adam Bryant. Chegg rents textbooks online and by mail. Dan speaks to a lesson he has learned, and a practice I would love to see implemented […]
Wise words from my father – and how true they are. Until a computer, a car, a book, a movie ticket – the list goes on – is sold nothing new can be innovated, manufactured, or serviced. The selling machine drives everything – period. It is the fuel for the economy. Here are five easy […]
Recently I have been asked to lead several board and executive retreats through their annual strategic planning process. The similarities of their challenges are startling similar – regardless of industry, non-profit or for-profit organizations. The days of plentiful donations for non-profits are gone. Double digit growth, for most companies, is a friend of distant past. […]