Definition of success? I could lose everything and truly be okay with it. ~Tony Hsieh, billionaire and CEO of Zappos This idea of a metric for success was suggested by …
Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast
Last week I had the privilege of attending two outstanding conferences, first the COMMIT Forum, a conference hosted by the Corporate Responsibility Association; followed by the Inc. 500/5000 conference, hosted …
It Ain’t Easy: Why a Leader’s Values Matter in Strategic Planning
We were sitting in the executive boardroom, participating in a fairly routine strategic planning meeting when I had a frightening realization: it was suddenly clear the CEO did not buy …
Story Telling as a Leadership Tool (Part 2): Finding the Stories to Tell
In a previous blog, we discussed the value of storytelling as a way to motivate employees, provide direction, inspire desired behaviors, and spark innovation. So what does a good story …
Pssst….Did you hear the rumor about our company? The Good News about Gossip | Story Telling as a Leadership Tool (Part 1)
Company gossip is often considered a negative environmental factor that must be managed in a corporate context. The idea of workers standing by the water cooler whispering over the latest …
Back to Basics: Where to Turn in Times of Business Challenge
Extreme events, whether they are man-made (such as the European imbroglio, global financial crises, or radical political events such as the Arab Spring), or natural disasters such as tsunami, floods …
Nobody Needs a Drill. An Analogy to Re-Imagine Business Practices
No one in this world really needs a drill. Ever. Usually I find absolute statements inherently false, but I stand by this one. It’s not the drill that is needed, …
How to Prepare for a Crisis: Lessons from United’s 9/11 Chief of Operations
Sitting in the board room with an eye on his corner office, Andy Studdert, CEO of NES Rentals, is relaxed and in control. His company is growing again after a …
A Case Study in Innovation, Profit, and Sustainability
Advocates for corporate sustainability herald a day when green-thinking isn’t just good for the earth, it’s good for the company’s profit margins as well. And certainly this has been the …