Leadership
Looking for something specific? The following topics address a wide range of business needs and challenges.
Holiday Thoughts from Mr. Sam Walton
The following is a copy of an actual letter sent by Sam Walton of Wal-Mart to his managers. It was sent to me by an impassioned client who wanted to thank us for bringing the science of behavior into…
By the People—Not By the Numbers
While banking is a numbers-driven profession, watching the numbers like a hawk and pouncing when employees fall short is not the best way to boost financial results.
Instead of merely tracking…
Mistakes Companies Make when End-of-Year Approaches
About this time of year, leaders and managers begin the ritual, asking themselves, “Have I met my goals for the year? Have I used up my budget? Am I prepared to declare my needs and wants for…
Why Positive Management Training Should be Part of your Company Wellness Program
Most organizations understand the value in promoting employee health and wellness. Investments are made in wellness centers, gym memberships and weight loss programs. Turns out there is…
The NFL Desperately Needs Skills in Changing Behavior that Matters
Over the last two weeks there have been at least 7 cases making the news about domestic abuse by NFL players. This week, there was an NYT editorial on abuse and its justification by too many men…
The Problem With Banks Results-Driven Culture
A steady stream of headlines brings near-constant reports on banks running afoul of laws and regulations. Recent evidence includes the mortgage-securities settlements of Bank of America and Citigroup…
4 Secrets to Leading Change When Your Company Is Already Successful
It’s no secret: Many successful businesses are slow to change. There are hundreds of examples in which corporations have rejected ideas and products that have been left to entrepreneurs to make…
Overworked? Could Reducing Workloads be the Key to Improved Results?
We may be at a tipping point. It just might be that we have hit the limit on how much we can do on any given day, week or month. Most of us have more work on our to-do lists than we can…
When Companies Suffer from CEOpathy
The antivirus company Symantec seems to have been infected by its own virus — what I call CEOpathy. In March 2014, the security company fired its CEO for the second time in two years. And,…
Why GE’s Talent-Review System’s Secret Ingredient is Still a Secret
Raghu Krishnamoorthy, a vice president at GE, recently wrote an HBR-Online article about GE’s secret ingredient to its purported Talent-Review System. One can assume by reading the comments on…
Leveraging the 4:1 Ratio—In Sports and in Business
It’s built into what we do with our clients, in understanding and applying the science of behavior. While it may not seem revolutionary, correctly applying the 4:1 Ratio matters and does affect…
Don’t Blame Employees for Lack of Effort—Managers Hold the Key
It’s generally agreed that persuading employees to give more than required can make or break a company. Yet many leaders struggle to get that discretionary effort. The 2022 Gallup State of the…
Why Mary Barra Should Be the Norm, Not the Exception
One issue has been largely overlooked in the discussions about women in leadership: Do the traits of one gender have an advantage over the other in the boardroom? Direct and self-promotional…
Encouraging Creativity: You Never Know Where the Next Billion Dollar Idea Will Come From
There is nothing mysterious about creativity. Contrary to what many writers write and to the many so-called myths out there; it is not a brain thing or a province of just a few. As a matter of fact…
5 Fool-Proof Ways to Set and Accomplish Productive Goals
Goal setting is a common practice in organizations and can lead to improved performance and productivity. But many companies struggle to properly execute the goal setting process. Check out our…
Fast Company Article on "Stack Ranking"
It’s hard to believe but Stack Ranking has found its way back into corporations as a means for motivating employees. What will it take for leaders to understand that this practice doesn’t work and in…
Rank and Yank: Would a Rose by Any Other Name Smell as Sweet?
Jack Welch joined the fray about Microsoft’s abandoning “rank and yank” in a Wall Street Journal op-ed titled “Jack Welch: ’Rank and Yank’? That’s Not How It’s Done.” Welch now says that rank…
Zero Tolerance Policies Should be Called “Don’t Blame Me” Policies
While I understand the appeal of zero tolerance policies in that they allow difficult decisions about behavior to be dispatched easily and quickly, the decision to expel a child from school or to…
