Category: Making the Difficult Easy

Executive Succession Planning: If you want to build a skyscraper, don’t start by buying a hammer.

“We need a way to identify people who could be promoted to top executive positions. What tools do you use to assess leadership?” the head of HR for a small regional bank asked me. “Are you planning to rely on a “tool” to make that determination?” I asked. “We haven’t thought much about the process itself,” she … Continue reading Executive Succession Planning: If you want to build a skyscraper, don’t start by buying a hammer. MORE >

It’s Not Lonely at the Top: It’s Overcrowded

Here are some ways to reclaim the space you need My client, Bob, was very pleased with his new position at a large health care organization. It was a “skip” promotion in recognition of his leadership capabilities and  his reputation as a nationally recognized expert in his field. Despite the challenges of taking on a … Continue reading It’s Not Lonely at the Top: It’s Overcrowded MORE >

20/20 Hindsight: If you had known this was coming, what would you have done differently in your business to prepare?

This is the fourth in a series of questions I am asking to help us pause for a moment to notice what we are learning about ourselves and our organizations.  There is no doubt that the next disruptive change will be different than this one.  That is what will make it disruptive. Nonetheless, it is … Continue reading 20/20 Hindsight: If you had known this was coming, what would you have done differently in your business to prepare? MORE >

What has been your superpower in adjusting to the disruption that the pandemic has visited upon us?

This is the third in a series of questions I am asking to help us pause for a moment to notice what we are learning about ourselves and our organizations.  A crisis of this magnitude challenges us – some of us to our very core as we face the loss of loved ones, acquaintances – … Continue reading What has been your superpower in adjusting to the disruption that the pandemic has visited upon us? MORE >

What has surprised you?

This is the second in a series of questions I am asking to help us pause for a moment to notice what we are learning about ourselves and our organizations. If you are interested, here is a link back to the first question. We are facing unprecedented challenges today as we navigate through this pandemic. Challenges … Continue reading What has surprised you? MORE >

What are you learning?

Even as we endeavor to survive this pandemic –  to see that people have the basic necessities of life, to keep as many healthy as we can and save those who fall ill, it is important to record what we are learning about ourselves, our organizations, and our society. But it is difficult to take … Continue reading What are you learning? MORE >

How 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 … Continue reading How to untangle a thorny problem that persists despite the best efforts of your leadership team MORE >

Forget 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 … Continue reading Forget Work Life Balance MORE >

The Cost of Misused “Timesavers”

We’ve all been there – the meeting that should have been an email. Why does this happen and how can it be avoided? Meetings can be valuable, but there are way too many that are a waste of time. MORE >