Leadership

The meanest, most contemptible kind of praise is that which first speaks well of a man and then qualifies it with a "But," --Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887)

When I read The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atul Gawande three things occurred to me.  The first was a joke someone sent me in e-mail last week. “ A man is recovering…

Last week at the insistence of Tyler, our Assessments & Surveys Guru, I watched an episode of the TV series, LOST, and boy was I lost!  I quickly concluded this is not the kind of…

Last week Neil Borofsky, Special Inspector General of the Troubled Relief Asset Program, said   that a number of the bail-out’s key goals “have simply not been met.” The question I have is…

After an intense Super Bowl game does not seem like a prime spot in the TV schedule to premiere a new show, but according to ratings, Undercover Boss proved to be one of the most watched post-…

I invite you to read my blog in the Guest Insights section of the Washington Post online. Related Posts: OOPS! The Biggest Mistakes Made By TV's Top Bosses

With 1:55 left in the game and with the Minnesota Vikings leading the Dallas Cowboys 27 to 3, the Cowboys had no real chance of winning. Surprisingly to many, Viking’s quarterback Brett Favre…

As one who studies behavior for a living, I couldn’t help analyzing last week’s “horse-trading” in the Senate around the health care reform bill.  Do the leaders in Congress ever concern…

My opinion of Falcon’s head coach, Mike Smith, dropped several notches week before last because of his action in the Babineaux case.  For those who don’t follow the Falcons NFL football team,…

With all the buzz surrounding the new movie “Up in the Air” I’ve put it on my must see movie list for the Holidays. I’m particularly interested because in today’s business environment, these…

 When I was in the Army there was a saying about budgets, “Ask for three, expect two and get one.” I was reminded of this when watching President Obama’s speech at West Point last night. When…

I spoke last week to a group of 500 managers at Fortune Small Business Growth Summit, a yearly conference in Dallas organized by Verne Harnish. The group was composed of small business owners and…

Employee engagement is one of the topics that makes headlines in today's strained economy.  In an article on CNNMoney.com Less Pay. More Hours. Unhappy Workers. it was reported that…

To Aubrey's list of the bad examples by TV bosses, and to those of you who submitted your own recommendations, the winner is, Gordon Ramsay. As a dedicated foodie, watching Ramsay is both…

From Mary Tyler Moore to Mad Men, the workplace has served as the setting for many of television's most acclaimed and beloved series. It's no wonder. The office provides the ultimate backdrop for…

I just finished reading and studying a new book by mentor and friend Dr. Aubrey Daniels - OOPS! 13 Management Practices that Waste Time & Money (and what to do instead). Below are my gems.…

Third in a series: Employee-of-the-Month is one of the most common management tools used to motivate employees. Learn why it is one of the worst things you can do.

I knew that OOPs! was going to be controversial when an executive who was asked to review the manuscript said, "I found myself getting angry as I read it." Of the 13 management practices that…