Stop Giving Up Your Best Accountability Tools. “You shouldn’t reward people for simply doing their jobs,” the Deputy Chief said, “It’s like participation trophies – everyone gets one, so they’re meaningless.” The Deputy is correct, but not for the reasons he assumes. Leaders tend to think of reward and punishment as their primary accountability tools. […]
Secret Service breakdown at Trump rally shows the importance of upstream thinking. I’m appalled by the assassination attempt on former President Trump, and I cannot help but think the violent rhetoric that’s entered our political discourse played a role. I hope people think more carefully before characterizing their opponents in existential terms. As we get […]
Mandela’s leadership was about choosing dignity over power I spent the past two weeks in South Africa, our final stop being the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg on June 27th. Mandela’s wisdom and grace inspired me. He negotiated a peaceful transfer of power from the delegitimized apartheid government to one that represented all South Africans and […]
How often does rule-breaking occur in your business? Probably more than you’d care to admit. Americans are avid rule-breakers. I think it’s in our DNA or the water or both. Many people came to America because they didn’t like their home country’s rules. Americans defy scolding self-appointed elites. Don’t tread on me. We brought the […]
There are many reasons for increased manager burnout. I want to call attention to a particularly pernicious problem: servant leadership. Like many people, especially in the military, I regarded “servant” as the highest form of leadership [selfless service is one of the Army’s values.]. After all, leading includes service to a higher purpose, the organization, […]
The saying, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast,” attributed to Peter Drucker, suggests culture is your top priority. You know culture is important to cultivate, but where should it rank among your priorities in leading your organization and strengthening its purpose and direction? I love taking on popular nonsense, and this one needs addressing. Culture doesn’t […]
Transforming workplace values into actionable standards is more important than you think. According to a 2024 DDI study, 57% of employees quit their jobs because of their boss, and 37% have considered leaving for this reason. These numbers are not isolated incidents. For example, 50% of employees in a 2022 Gallup study said they left […]
Celebrating D-Day’s 80th anniversary “Everyone waits for me to tell them what to do,” Jane told me. “How do I get people to take initiative?” “Freelancing has burned us before, so I keep people on a tight leash,” Henry said. “We’re making fewer mistakes but too slow to recognize and seize opportunities.” Jane and Henry […]
How consciously do you assess your culture? Sometimes, leaders assume that what they say leads to the implementation they want, but they don’t have a sound process for checking. This fire-and-forget method of conveying expectations can create significant gaps in what you believe is happening versus what’s actually happening. Other leaders lack awareness of how […]
I’m a die-hard Taylor Swift fan. My playlists are loaded with her songs. I love the beat, her depth, and the stories she tells. I’ve watched the Eras tour movie (my wife will go to her Warsaw concert), and I frequently insert her lyrics into stories and wisecracks. “This conference is like snow on the […]
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