Category Archive

There once was a big buggy whip factory that had just made some major improvements in their process and means of manufacturing buggy whips. They made the best quality whips, priced just right. They were getting better and better at buggy whips; in fact, they set the industry standard. Unfortunately, the leadership of the business did not give much heed to Ford and his mass manufacturing of horseless carriages. They were the best at what they did, and they were out of business in very short order.

There are numerous ways to generate and promulgate a vision. The most powerful way seems to be to have leaders (whether first-line supervisors, senior vice presidents, or CEOs) sit down with their team, talk about … Read More

What is the essence of powerful and effective leadership? What causes one person to succeed and another to fail? Scanning the past 2,000 years of recorded history reveals that leaders are ultimately known by the actions they take as well as the practices they demonstrate. These actions are measured by bottom-line results as well as by the relationships created. Leading is really about engaging others in a unified focus that is geared at producing outstanding results (such as achieving a vision).

Leadership, practiced at its best, is the art and science of calling to the hearts and minds of others. It is engaging others in an enterprise of sound strategic focus, where they can experience a sense of ownership, of making a difference, of being valued and adding value.

We have grown up in a society which, for the past 100 years, has prized following directions, being obedient, and maintaining the status quo in our schooling and work environments. Management has been the “science” … Read More

Successful companies, such as Microsoft, that were once innovation leaders in their fields often fall into the trap of being driven by their shareholders. Shareholders want minimal risk and steady returns on their investment. Innovative companies frequently need to risk failure in order to succeed. Today’s leadership challenge is to keep both shareholder’s concerns and innovation’s risk, and reward, in balance.

The courage to be confronted is more than just the flip side of the courage to confront. This act is critical to true integrity. Without this act of courage, it is easy to end up off course and out of balance.

Whenever we back away from confronting a difficult issue, it doesn’t disappear or get better on its own. It festers, grows, and undermines our power. When we avoid confronting painful situations or problems in relationships, we inflict damage on our souls and compromise our integrity.

It takes great courage to see the current reality – and to see it clearly – without using the great defenses of the ego, such as pretense, excuse, denial, blame, or rationalization. Your current reality includes not only the things you are proud of, and all of your accomplishments, it also includes the things of which you are ashamed, or that you would rather forget, or that you just won’t see. It includes your defeats and losses. For most of us, it is easy to justify or deny our culpability in problematic relationships, troubled work environments, or disappointments in life. It is hard to see and own the places where our living experience is painful, constrained, or diminished. It is difficult to accept the criticisms of others. These painful experiences are the sum of our losses, disappointments, and self-doubts. They indicate where we have abandoned our power by giving in to fear or self-limiting beliefs.

The courage to dream and put forth your dream is essential if you are to claim the power to create your life and bring out the best in yourself and others. It allows you to orient yourself at any time and in any place, based on a consistent vision that forms the inner core of your amazing strength. This act allows you to pursue what you most desire, pulling you toward a more powerful sense of self and self-worth.