Another meeting? How many of the following statements describe your feelings about meetings? I'm tired of: Having meetings, just to have a meeting or to say, “we met” Meeting without a purpose or objective Not knowing why I am in the meeting Not staying on track or starting/ending on [...]
When we collaborate, we all get better. Yet, our culture values individualism above all else. “I can do this. I don’t need you. I won’t depend on anyone.” You might hear a two year old proclaim indignantly, “I do it myself.” That approach appeals to us and serves as [...]
What do you look for in a great leader? Do you know leaders who don't hold the most senior-level positions? When you look for those defining characteristics, ask, "What do they do? How does their behavior reflect what they say? "Example is not the main thing in influencing others, [...]
Every one of us interacts with and works within processes each day. Processes develop by design or by default. An organization is only as good as its processes. Geary A. Rummler and Alan P. Brache Many times, our processes work because of sheer luck—without any clear intent other than [...]
We often forget about the role of leadership teams in building culture. Organizations, even small ones, rarely have only one leader. The CEO, president, chancellor, superintendent depend on a team of leaders to facilitate and guide people in the organization. The Role of Leadership Teams Leadership teams have a [...]
Do you wish you were the CEO? How many times have you said, "If I were the boss...?" Do you have ideas to improve, but no one seems to listen? You don't need to wait or ever become the CEO. Everyone is a leader. You can start leading today. [...]
My view of leaders and leadership has evolved over time. I have soaked in the philosophies and perspectives of many people. They include but are certainly not limited to Peter Drucker, W. Edwards Deming, John Maxwell, Simon Sinek, Seth Godin, Stephen Covey, Jon Kotter, Jim Collins, Dr. Seuss. And, [...]
Change. Where does it begin? With me, with you—because we’re all for improvement until the consequences of improvement jolt us and create discomfort. We talk about change and blame our lack of results on change. We bemoan the fact that we have too much change. We throw our arms [...]
Quite simply, customer service begins with kindness. Excellence in serving customers starts with leaders who value employees and model quality service. Leaders who respect and build relationships with staff establish the foundation for great service to thrive. Excellence in service does not begin with customers. Where does customer service [...]
To effectively manage an organization, we must first remember that it is a system. All systems left unattended will naturally find their state of disorganization. This is the principle of entropy. We could also refer to it as the “random capacity of the system.” Our problem grows . . . Most [...]
