Category: Executive Leadership

Effective Planning Can Result in Progress Many talented executives fail to fully appreciate strategic planning. The problem is they’ve not witnessed the progress that effective planning can help materialize. The unseen reason for their lack of optimism is minimal experience creating and implementing strategic plans.  When strategic plans are created time is usually tight, with […]

History has proven it: strategic planning is less valuable than it could be. The traditional strategic planning practice that involves business units presenting to executives on a periodic basis is outdated. This particular approach too often relies on assumptions or inherited legacy plans rather than data. History has proven it: strategic planning is less valuable […]

Appreciation for Culture is Key to Success Many new managers think a focus on goal achievement is the key to their success as a new manager, but I disagree. After spending over 30 years in management, I consider appreciation for culture key to success. Early on in my career, I had an extreme focus on […]

Not All Leaders Are Prepared to Lead If you’ve recently found yourself frustrated and confused by leadership, you’re not alone. Being able to take charge during periods of rapid change and deal effectively with ambiguity are key competencies needed in today’s leaders. We need individuals who are decisive, trustworthy, and capable of creating solutions today […]

Maintenance Learning is for Organizations Who Want to Maintain the Status Quo It is not uncommon for organizations to connect learning and development activities to performance evaluations. This practice fails to account for the performance required to successfully navigate change. The practice of maintenance learning addresses growth and learning related to performance gaps and anticipated […]

I once worked for an executive who lacked the ability to strategically communicate. I say he lacked the ability, but perhaps saying he lacked the discipline would be more accurate. He chose to communicate in his preferred way all the time, regardless of how effective his communications were within the company. It was frustrating! Ever […]

Many employees feel overwhelmed by the pandemic. The past few months have been extremely stressful for many of us. It’s no wonder that employees are anxious, confused, and unsettled as they re-enter workplaces or experience changes in their work environments. Here are three ways leaders can address employee’s fears and anxieties. Acknowledge losses and concerns. […]

Collaboration is critical to any successful, high functioning organization. Yet, amazingly, some leaders underestimate its value. Others, not only understand it, they use it to accomplish strategic goals. The collaboration between NASA and Lego® is a good example. Lego® wanted to help children learn about the aerospace sector so they partnered with NASA and signed […]

For leaders, having direct reports always tell you “yes” is a problem. You can solve this by creating an environment in which the rewards reinforce honesty and constructive, professional dialogue. To avoid inefficiency, you need to embrace diversity of opinion. I’ve worked with my share of leaders who surrounded themselves with “yes people” over the […]

Originally published by Inside Indiana Business on March 2, 2020. Updates about the coronavirus are everywhere, even though much remains unknown. Workplaces are scrambling to gather information and make decisions. Leaders responsible for communicating about coronavirus have a major challenge. Tell your stakeholders what you know in an attempt to stay ahead of miscommunication or […]