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,…
DetailsBarney! You beat everythin’… you know that? – Sheriff Andy Taylor Last week we lost a beloved television icon – Andy Griffith passed at the age of 86. Griffith starred in numerous television shows over the years but is best remembered for his role as the folksy Sheriff Andy Taylor of Mayberry on The Andy…
DetailsEvery person you meet is better at something than you are – Robert A. Cook Last year on a whim I had the opportunity to be an “extra” on the Lifetime TV series Army Wives which is filmed where I live in Charleston, SC. I was excited about this opportunity to make an appearance on…
DetailsIf you were anywhere near La Pera Circle in the 80’s you would have heard the echoing of a ball bouncing. I played basketball for hours in my early years. I didn’t play pick up games nor did I play organized basketball; I just shot for hours…on my own. I would play out games in…
DetailsA good boss makes his men realize that they have more ability than they think they have so that they consistently do better work than they thought they could. – Charles Erwin Wilson “Undercover Boss” has emerged as one of CBS’ top-rated shows on Sunday evenings. As CBS states, “Each week, the show follows a…
DetailsYou 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…
DetailsLeadership is unlocking people’s potential to become better – Bill Bradley In a column for the Harvard Business Review Blog Network, (http://bit.ly/UDGyUE) Jack Zenger unveiled a startling and troubling fact; we wait too long to train leaders. Citing research from his consulting agency he revealed that in their database of some 17,000 worldwide leaders participating…
DetailsLeadership development and succession planning are often seen and treated as separate activities. Yet they really should go hand in hand, or even be thought of as two-sides of the same coin. You can’t have an effective succession plan if you’re not continually identifying and developing high performing, high potential people in your organization, and…
DetailsNothing last forever – not even our troubles. – Arnold H. Glasow In Bits & Pieces, a story is shared about Somerset Maugham, the English writer who once wrote a story about a janitor at St. Peter’s Church in London. One day a young vicar discovered that the janitor was illiterate and fired him. Jobless,…
DetailsIf everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking. – General George S. Patton A story is told of a man who bought a new gadget- unassembled, of course, and after reading and rereading the instructions he couldn’t figure out how it went together. Finally, he sought the help of an old handyman who was…
DetailsLife is a long process of getting used to things you started out to change. – Frank A. Clark As the story goes, it was on June 4, 1783 at the market square of a French village of Annonay, not far from Paris, that a smoky bonfire on a raised platform was fed by wet…
DetailsLeaders are celebrated, while managers are often criticized, but a combination of the two could be just what the economy needs. There’s been an ongoing debate for the past five decades and I’m not talking about Medicare or why the Chicago Cubs haven’t won a title since 1908. This debate has to do with leaders…
DetailsWhat makes someone an effective leader? Take a moment and think of the person whom you have most admired/enjoyed having as a leader. Consider not only your work experience, but also your volunteer activities, religious affiliations, and recreational pursuits.
DetailsThe research evidence continues to trickle in. The study I write about today was conducted by Green Peak Partners with the involvement of Cornell’s Industrial and Labor Relations School (my graduate alma mater, as it happens).
With business demands and the amount of information increasing, it is tempting for managers to hunker down and spend most of their attention on tasks – dealing with customer/supplier issues, operational issues, answering email, endless meetings and the never ending to-do list.
