Executive Leadership
Not so Fast – Don’t Hire that Executive Coach (…Yet)
This may sound strange coming from someone who coaches many executives and it’s true that some of my best clients begin by telling me that they want executive coaching for one of their senior leaders. But before I start talking about a contract, my first response to such a request is to ask why. The…
Read MoreLeading, Living Life Well, and Your Legacy
A dear friend and colleague of mine passed away at the end of last month. I know the date because she had intended to let her clients know of her rapidly declining health in her next newsletter. Corrie (far right) sent her newsletter without fail on the 1st of every month – not the 2nd, not the 3rd,…
Read MoreHow to untangle a thorny problem that persists despite the best efforts of your leadership team
The Situation: The senior vice president of a government contracting firm needed help in solving what appeared to be an unsolvable situation. He had recently learned that one of the teams had been completely ignoring critical terms of large contracts and instead was using ad hoc procedures that were completely out of compliance. Needless to…
Read MoreForget Work Life Balance
As a senior business executive, do you feel that your entire life is consumed by your work? Do you believe that you have to make tradeoffs between professional commitment and fully embracing life? Do you see the competition between work and personal life as a zero-sum game? If so, your mindset is limiting both. With…
Read MoreLeaders and Unethical Behavior….it could happen to you.
How is it that well-regarded, hard-working, ethical people end up doing the dumbest, most unethical things? How is it that the D.C. Schools Chancellor that violated an ethics policy that he wrote less than a year ago was forced to resign? That in front of Congress, Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf seemed oblivious to the…
Read MoreTales from the C-Suite: Merger Challenges & Solutions
“How’s the merger going?” I asked my dinner companion. “Great!” she replied. 5 seconds later, she said, “It’s terrible.” Six months before, the mid-sized engineering firm she worked for had acquired an attractive, smaller firm in a nearby location. Expectations were high, as they were certain this venture would lead to increased business beyond what…
Read MoreLEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM THE NBA
San Antonio Spurs Head coach, Greg Papovich – An Exemplar of Stellar Leadership. Given the enormous success of the San Antonio Spurs, it is clear why Greg Papovich is considered by many to be the best coach in the NBA. The reasons why were demonstrated last week. In 20 years as a coach, Greg Papovich…
Read MoreWhen the boss dates a subordinate, the relationship is never mutual
I was struck by a headline in Monday’s WSJ entitled, Anonymous Email to Visa CEO Led to Top Executive’s Firing. It describes how an email led to an investigation of Jim McCarthy, a senior, high-profile executive at Visa, Inc., who had been involved in romantic relationships with female employees, some of whom worked for him.…
Read MoreSexual Harassment: Let Not the Pendulum Swing
Much good can be said about women having the courage to come forward, and finally being believed, about the sexual harassment they have endured. It is not an exaggeration to describe some of it – by Harvey Weinstein, Mario Batali, Matt Lauer – as horrendous. Nearly every day, we hear about congressmen – Al Franken,…
Read MoreManaging in a Bubble
Let me begin by saying that I know many superb senior executives who have risen to top leadership not only by virtue of their technical excellence and work ethic, but also because of their capacity to inspire others. These highly intelligent leaders know that retaining talent should be a high priority, and the vast majority of executives strive to create a culture that encourages commitment to the organization. Nonetheless, I know some who manage in a bubble.
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