It’s been an interesting week in the world of NFL free agency. Peyton Manning was excused by his former employer prompting a recruiting frenzy for one of the industry’s top professionals. In the attempt to court this top performer to their organization the San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos were forced to look at…
Those of you who read my blog know that the most anticipated day of my son’s life arrived on Friday: the big screen debut of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax! He had been waiting for months for the big event and I am delighted to say he was not disappointed…neither was I. In the aforementioned blog,…
The times they are-a-changin’! Programmers with great ideas are becoming billionaires, the internet is streamlining small business ownership, and those who seek job stability are being questioned for their lack of ambition. The once normative corporation culture is becoming leaner. We travel (and even talk on the phone) less than we used to. Our conversations…
I recently heard Marc Benioff say that working at Apple changed his career perspective. The great Steve Jobs turned the hot box programming room into an extended organizational culture. Finding “doors” in programming function became a quest for a new frontier. It was no longer about writing better code; it became a mission to change…
I am always asked what makes a great leader. We are all different. Some people have exceptional product knowledge while others know how to fill in strategy gaps. There are those who inspire their team and others who keep their team honest. While every individual has their distinct areas of expertise, there is a method…
I think we can all agree that leadership is an art form: a dance, a painting, a well-executed pass play. The best leaders know the moments in which to interact. More to the point, an employee’s valuation of their company comes down to a few moments (and their direct report is usually part of them).…
When I was a child, I was often awakened by rumblings in the back of the house while the sun was still down. Occasionally, I would brave the cold air in my Incredible Hulk underwear to see my father suiting up for work. He was up early, home late and always in a suit. I…
You may remember the quote from Cool Hand Luke, “some men you just can’t reach”. Being a person of true faith in human connections, this disposition made me feel hopeless. Until I started managing people….. There are people who fit into the category of “uncoachable”. Usually these folks isolate themselves into obscurity and are ushered…
Much has been made of the post game spat between two football a few weeks back. Jim Schwartz felt disrespected because Jim Harbaugh shook his hand with too much force after the game. I am from Michigan and I hate the 49ers, so it would be my natural inclination to side with Coach Schwartz –…
Before diving into my first leadership role I was advised by a well-respected member of our Management team. She told me, “Don’t get too close to your people, you will get burned”. I countered her advising with the thought that creating a monarchy would isolate me from my team….to which she said “exactly”. I didn’t…
I am a sports fanatic so my Leadership style is rooted in metaphor to any number athletic competitions. With the NBA season on the brink of collapse let’s talk some basketball. I am a firm believer that there are two ways to motivate basketball players: 1. By the Bench 2. By the Basket There is…
In 2006, William Taylor wrote a book called Mavericks at Work. I devoured the book! I loved the concept of rule breakers sticking to their guns to gain authority. This, to me, is the true definition of winning. That you do not need the most gifted players but those with conviction, an uncompromising purpose, the…
Our career track can take interesting twists and turns. We walk the tight rope between challenging ourselves and balancing work with life. It certainly isn’t as easy as it used to be. Certain companies reward hard work with opportunity. With each step up the ladder, you gain more responsibility and advanced leadership potential. Things started…
Last week I attended Salesforce.com’s annual cloud computing conference with 40,000 others. The conference is unconventional in that Sales Professionals, Hackers, Admins and Marketers come together under a common cause. Salesforce.com has clarity of organizational purpose which makes sense to a lot of people. Marc Benioff’s vision seems to be to promote collaboration of ideas…
Last week we revealed a tale of Leadership Lost: A man, who dedicated his life to a cause he believed in, employed thousands and put his grandchildren’s children through college. And yet, if you walked out of college on to his team you might be met with less vision and a whole lot of limitations.…
The CEO prowled the stage like a panther. He had total control of PowerPoint, was animated in sharing his experience and made the thousands in the conference hall feel as if he was speaking directly to them. The team left the keynote feeling inspired to produce great things, confident in their decision of joining the…
I recently had the great pleasure of interviewing established business author Dan Pink. One of the questions I asked him was how important Empathy is to Leadership….to which he replied: It’s hugely important. It’s very hard to lead without being able to see the world through the eyes of those your leading. That’s especially true…
I saw a LinkedIn group discussion in which the question was posed: Is Empathy Part of Leadership? I was surprised that the question was posed. I was more surprised by the responses. Folks in Management positions posed rhetoric masked in “never let them see you sweat” bravado. In his book, “Who’s Got Your Back”, Keith Ferrazzi proposes vulnerability as…
What makes a great Leader? We often think of the traits of strong personality, public speaking prominence, and convicted commitment. Vocal, Prominent, Confident, and Ever Present. Can it be said, however, that those who are truly admirable do not need to be in the public eye?