How Employee Engagement Drives Customer Satisfaction
Research shows there is a direct correlation between engaged employees and the satisfaction of your customer and ultimately achieving your business outcomes. In other words, employee engagement drives customer satisfaction. Richard Branson says, “Take care of your employees and they will take care of your customers”. Engaged employees are described as being fully immersed in and enthusiastic…
Leadership Matters: CEO Interview with Sam Walsh
This edition of the CEO interview features Sam Walsh, the recently retired CEO, of Rio Tinto. Rio Tinto, founded in 1873, is a British-Australian multinational and one of the world’s largest metals and mining corporations. The company has grown through a long series of mergers and acquisitions to place itself among the world leaders in the production of many commodities, including aluminum, iron…
Marissa Mayer: A Case Study In Poor Leadership
In March of 2013, I authored an article predicting the demise of Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer. Here’s the thing – not every talented, successful executive is CEO ready; Mayer is a textbook example of this. It was obvious from the early days, at least to those paying attention, that Mayer didn’t have the leadership chops to pull off the admittedly tough assignment of turning around the once iconic…
6 Communication Habits of Extraordinary Leaders (and How They Manage Conflict)
Like him or not, in my view President Obama is the epitome of a master communicator. Next time you see him on television notice his use of communication strategies including body language, voice inflection, gestures, and the intuitive ability to establish and maintain trust. Communication is critically important for personal and professional effectiveness. In my experience as an executive coach…
Reinventing Vermeer
Tim’s Vermeer is a riveting documentary about inventor Tim Jenison’s quest to understand the genius of Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer. The film chronicles Jenison’s discovery of a technique Vermeer may have used to create his photo-realistic paintings prior to the invention of photography. History offers few clues to Vermeer’s life. Most art experts have cited a genius of vision—the ability to…
What the NFL Can Learn from a Civil War Soldier
"Beware how you take away hope from another human being." — Oliver Wendell Holmes This week, the Miami Dolphins stole headlines from their NFL competitors. Unfortunately for the league, the Dolphins, and the rest of us, the way their players talk and not the way they play invited the scrutiny. Words are unique to the human condition and the thread that connects us to this quilt of humanity.…
A Simple Lesson from the Declaration of Independence
Fifty-six Continental Congressmen signed the Declaration of Independence in July 1776. With each quill stroke, the men committed treason and placed at risk their lives, fortune, and sacred honor. The act was more than symbolic; it added weight to the cause and tied their personal fate to the Revolution. There was no denying they had skin in the game. While the Continental Army had been at war…
A Leadership Trait that Saved America
Today the U.S. Army celebrates its 238th birthday. Looking back, its growth into comfortable old age seems inevitable but in its youth that outcome was far from certain. In 1783 on the Ides of March, the inseparable fates of our Army and Republic were very much in doubt; disgruntled officers of the fledgling Army were gathered in a secret meeting in Newburgh, New York to discuss insurrection.…
Leadership Lesson: The Difference Between Google and Apple
Google and Apple are both highly esteemed brands. Both companies share many common traits that have contributed to their success, but there is one very big difference between the two – Google plays offense while Apple has recently settled for playing defense. Apple is struggling to maintain its position in the market, while Google is expanding its position. There is a leadership lesson here...…
The Next Generation of CEOs: 10 CEO Ready Leaders
Lots of executives aspire to become a CEO, but few actually possess the leadership chops to pull it off. As someone who earns their living as a leadership advisor to Fortune 500 CEOs, I always keep a sharp eye peeled for up and coming leaders. The 10 leaders profiled below represent different industries, different disciplines, and even a few different countries, but they all share one thing in…
Lessons from Ronald Reagan
While scrutiny of any two-term president will reveal mistakes and flaws, the simple fact is that there are great lessons to be learned from Ronald Reagan. Few would argue that President Reagan was a true statesman, and most would also concur he was one of the greatest U.S. Presidents of the modern era. He overcame critics who thought him to be little more than an actor who was in over his head…
Leadership Interview – Michael Hyatt
CEOs that make great decisions are rare these days. Humble, authentic leaders who really understand their craft are equally scarce. Chief Executives who actively engage in social media also find themselves in the minority among their peers. Michael Hyatt (@MichaelHyatt - www.michaelhyatt.com) is that rare commodity. As Chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, the largest Christian publishing…
Leadership Interview with John C. Maxwell
For those of you interested in the topic of leadership, John C. Maxwell (@johncmaxwell - www.johnmaxwell.com) likely needs no introduction. John is probably one of the world's best known and most respected authors and speakers on the subject of leadership. A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Business Week best-selling author, John has sold more than 18 million books. In fact, three of his…
Leadership Interview – Marshall Goldsmith
I recently had the pleasure of spending about 40 minutes on the phone with Marshall Goldsmith (@coachgoldsmith) whom I consider to be one of the best executive coaches in the business. In fact, I hold Marshall in such high professional regard that he is one of only three other coaches that I'll refer people to if I'm unable to meet their needs. Marshall has authored 30 books (most recently: What…
Interview: Chris Brogan
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Chris Brogan. Chris is the President of New Marketing Labs, a new media marketing agency. With the market being awash of so-called social media "experts," Chris, who would never refer to himself as such, is absolutely the real deal. In addition to running a successful agency, Chris has reached celebrity status as a blogger (www.chrisbrogan.com), social…
Interview: Rebel Brown
Today's interview is with noted turnaround specialist Rebel Brown (@rebelbrown). Rebel has more than 25 turnaround engagements under her belt - she knows what it takes to be a successful leader in not just the good times, but in the toughest of times. I can tell you from personal experience, few things test your metal as a leader more than leading a turnaround. Today also happens to be the…