45 Seconds on Leadership

Are People Really Our Greatest Asset?

Our Values Help Us Win

Our values help us support our leadership efforts. Take the healthcare company CVS. One of their key values is about being there for “every meaningful moment of health.” So, how can they sell cigarettes in their drug stores? The answer is, they don’t. Anymore. They used to sell a billion dollars a year, but it […]

We Get the Culture We Deserve

The culture we deserve. Over time, what kind of employees stay at an organization that tells them “you have to?” Is it the creative, thoughtful people who like to have freedoms? Or people who like to stay inside the lines? Those who like certainty and comfort, or those who embrace ambiguity? People who wait for […]

DO “This is Important”

“This is important!” This is exactly what do we say when we have something important to tell someone. But you know what makes something really important to people: When we “DO” this is important. I once knew a very busy CIO who was trying to lead a change to a new technology. She said it […]

Listening Has Its Benefits.

When people feel heard …they’ll do REMARKABLE things. The leaders at Pixar needed a 10% cut in costs. They had ideas. But instead they listened and got ideas from their people. Their people got engaged and offered great ideas. Their very best idea…the idea that was most popular…it wouldn’t cut costs 10%. No, it would […]