Gary (not his real name) is the managing partner of a second-tier professional service firm. At a recent partners’ meeting Gary asked the question: “What big thing do we need to address to take us to the next level or avert a potential problem?” It was a genuine question and he wanted his fellow partners’ […]
I sat before the C-level leaders, four of them – the CEO, the COO, the CFO, and the CIO. We were planning a development program for the direct reports to the C-level. I asked whether any of the C-level would attend. “No” came the firm reply, “We’re too busy and we’ve all done this sort […]
Most businesses that have been operating for any length of time have ‘sacred cows’ – those people, attitudes, equipment, issues or systems that never get fairly challenged, critiqued or corrected. Often they are protected due to misguided loyalties, fear, habits or just plain not knowing how to deal with them without risk. There is often […]
Driven by technology and economic volatility, the focus on data collection and interpretation is immense – and oppressive. Capable leaders are being forced to spend time generating reports on the implications of historical data. They are being turned into internal analysts and managers at best. Leaders of public listed companies are being shanghaied into spending […]
There are a plethora of labels depicting leadership styles, mainly emanating from book and program marketers. You’ve heard them - laissez faire; consultative; democratic; authoritarian; transformational etc. It seems that rarely are the people being led asked what their leader is like and rarely do we ask the leader themselves – with the exception of […]
Improving productivity is high on the leaders’ agenda. Scholarly and practical articles alike focus on the productivity outcome created by the relationship between inputs and outputs, debating only what inputs and outputs to measure. What are measured mainly are financial and product or service data. I think they are missing the secret reality. There are […]
I plead with you for your answers to these five questions: Why, when we know the value of leadership and the massive return on investment in having effective leaders, do we not invest sufficient and realistic time and energy in developing effective leaders? Why, when we know that shared values drive sustainable desired outcomes for […]
Hierarchy of Enterprise Success© Within each of the above “bricks” of success there are related and inter-related requirements that ensure the integrity of each brick and the model as a whole. For instance the brick of Continuous Learning and Improvement includes the setting of key performance indicators or results areas, their measurement, performance mastery, innovation […]
I was bemused then disappointed to see that a British manufacturing company is seeking to appoint an Employee Engagement Manager! The function is within HR, requires the usual survey and data collection and processing and includes supporting leaders in monitoring and improving employee engagement. The salary offered is circa GBP 50,000. With on costs and […]
We don’t have enough leaders who are effectively engaged with their employees. That is the primary reason why ‘employee engagement’ remains a hot topic. How can you expect employees to be engaged in their work if their leaders aren’t effectively engaged with them? Most leaders are very busy. Strategy meetings; studying spreadsheets; spinning sound bites; […]
