I have a CEO friend who says that he is going to have these words put on his tombstone: “Damn it, people, talk to each other!” I get it. I can tell you that in all my years of leadership and advising leaders, the biggest messes and the most pain [read more]
Let me talk to you about communication and how it is the mechanism by which you set the trajectory of your firm. When most leaders achieve a certain height in their profession, they delegate communication. This is particularly true in our age of social media. A senior leader certainly shouldn’t [read more]
In my last Leading Thoughts, I talked to you about a wise social practice when you use your digital devices. Now, let me talk to you about some brain science. We are learning that the brain is not a “closed system” and it is not completely “wired” at an early [read more]
I’ve spoken often in these Leading Thoughts about how leaders must master the art of confrontation. Recently, many of you have asked for more help in this area. I’m happy to provide it. Here are some essential, practical steps. First, deal with your own nervousness. Is it about how you [read more]
I’m going to be very, very practical in this Leading Thoughts, so I hope you’ll read, ponder, and act as you think you ought to when you’re done. Of course, this is what I hope you’ll always do with these Leading Thoughts—read, ponder, and act! There are two facts I [read more]
In my last Leading Thoughts, I told you about something vitally important that Warren Buffet said. He shocked a great many people when he declared recently that it is possible for nearly everyone to increase their worth by 50%. What did he mean? He explained that most people can increase [read more]
I want to write to you about an immensely important part of your leadership. I also have to offer an apology. The apology is due because I haven’t addressed this aspect of your skill set enough, and I haven’t done it because it is within a field my firm specializes [read more]
It was during a crisis involving spy planes and the Soviet Union that President John F. Kennedy once said, “There is always some S.O.B who doesn’t get the word.” JFK had seen war up close and was then leading our nation through the Cold War. He knew that often the [read more]
There is a principle of communication I see violated nearly every day. It is violated largely because of a wrong assumption on the part of leaders and it is one of the costliest mistakes I see. Let me help you avoid it. The principle I want you to put into [read more]
I want to put another tool in your leadership toolbox and I want to tell you right up front what this tool is. It is the power of story. Leaders should be storytellers. They should make story their main method of communicating information. They should work to be good storytellers [read more]