HR, Who’s Your Customer?

Over the last 30 years, I have worked for many organizations in HR positions with increasing responsibility. Regardless, I had discussions within each of those organizations about the concept of customer satisfaction. In my view, the only customer is those whom we sell our products or services to! They are the same who pay our salaries. Human resource staff was routinely told, that they should…

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Speeding Change by Slowing Down

I have always believed that the fastest path to the future is found through the increasing velocity of change. I don’t believe I’ll get much push-back on that statement, but I’m rather certain I’ll encounter some resistance with my next one: Increasing velocity of change is best accomplished by slowing down. Most CEOs feel as if they’re in a race to change the future, and they would be correct.…

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Thought Leadership – Piercing The Bubble

If you value your own opinion more than others do, you might be suffering from a common form of self-delusion. Referring to yourself as a thought leader makes you a tone-deaf narcissist; not necessarily a great thinker. For my part, I’m in the process of trying to eliminate the term “thought leadership” from my vocabulary. This week, after months of reflection, I’ll be instructing our team to…

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This Word Unleashes Change & Innovation

Have you ever worked for a boss who always said no? If you have, my first guess is it was a frustrating experience. My second guess is you don't hold said boss in high regard as a leader. I've always been amazed at the number of well-known axioms espousing the benefits of learning to use the word "no" with greater frequency. In fact, there are some very bright people who believe you simply cannot…

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The Teslatisation of the Boardroom

I am taking a break at Grand Cafe Loos in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. My mind is spinning around as I try to defragment and reorganize the many experiences, images, and memories that have made this such a fascinating year. It's easy to pick out the large, juicy chunks, which have captivated most of us around the globe: political upheaval, geopolitical instability, corporate scandals to name but a…

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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…

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Leadership Humor – Asset or Liability

As a leader it’s quite easy to get a laugh – your title will virtually guarantee it. Therefore it’s important for leaders to become skilled at distinguishing the difference between a compliant chuckle and a sincere chortle. Good humor can bring people closer, but poor humor can be one of the strongest repellents known to man. The old saying “everybody loves a comedian” has regretfully given…

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Thinking Ahead: Millennial Leadership Development

Leadership is a hot topic today and will continue to be for a while. I don’t want to tell you the things that you already know, but make you think about the things you don’t. Let’s stop discussing trends, predictions, and statistics, and let’s focus on people. The individuals that will shape the next generation of leaders are not a group of millennials, they are a group of leaders just as the…

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The No. 1 Thing Holding You Back As A Leader

Leadership isn’t nearly as complex as people make it out to be, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t hard. The big difference between highly effective leaders and those just playing at leadership is often found in their willingness to do what doesn’t come naturally or instinctively. Real leadership begins at the moment you realize leadership has little to do with the leader, and everything to do with…

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The Leadership ‘X’ Factor That Can Fix Any Business

Businesses don’t fail – products don’t fail – projects don’t fail – leaders fail. I have little use for leaders who can effortlessly call upon the right clichés and buzzwords in conversation, but fail to put into practice what they so frequently wax eloquent about. Words matter; but they matter more when put into action when they become real when they make a difference. If you’re a CEO prone to…

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5 Dead Giveaways You’re Not A Credible Leader

Fact: Getting a leadership position is easier than keeping it. Keeping a position of leadership is about one thing, and one thing only; your credibility as a leader – your ability to lead well.  Leaders either have credibility or they don’t… Do you? People arrive at a position of leadership in many different ways. Some individuals openly and aggressively seek out positions of leadership, while…

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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…

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5 Bad Leadership Habits To Leave Behind

News Flash – there is no perfect leader. But there’s also no arguing the fact that some leaders are much better than others. So, what’s the difference between those leaders whose career trajectory rockets upward with great velocity, and those whose careers move at a snail’s pace, if at all? The best leaders know when to stop harming themselves, they know when to get out of their own way, and they…

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60 Top Leadership Quotes of All Time

Below are my top 60 favorite leadership quotes of all time. “Leaders transform the quality of their lives’ by becoming aware of authentic choices, and living courageously towards a new more empowering future.” – Grant Wattie “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.” —Margaret Mead “Leadership is not what…

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A Leadership Manifesto: 10 Keys to Living Courageously

You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor” ~Aristotle The word manifesto can be traced back to the Latin root manifestum, which means clear or conspicuous. A manifesto is defined as a declaration of beliefs, opinions, motives, and intentions. In other words, a document that an organization or person writes that declares what…

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Write Your Leadership Legacy in 6 Words

While having lunch with a number of writers, Ernest Hemingway claimed he could write a short story that was only six words long. When the lofty group of writers scoffed at the notion, he invited each of them to put ten dollars on the table, saying that if he was wrong he’d match it. But if he was right he’d keep the money. He quickly wrote six words down on a napkin and passed it around: "For…

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