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Are you making the world a better place?
That’s SUCH a deep question, both for your role as a leader and for you personally. I’ve found it to be the one question that’s sustained my energy over the decades.
For me personally, I weave in and out of giving a positive response. But I do seek to get involved in organizations which will magnify and focus making an impact.
Read the rest of this entry »When we think about business results, we tend to focus on customers, stakeholders, and employees. And financial pictures.
But the true impact is so much larger!
For example, by doing business with you your customers will be able to solve problems. They’ll be able to grow and prosper in ways that you aren’t even aware of.
Read the rest of this entry »So you’re building something that’s going to be really successful. Customers will be happy, and your employees will find purpose and make a living.
What’s beyond that?
The recent Artemis II mission got me thinking about perspectives which are much, much larger than I usually ponder. In the case of business leadership, this includes ripples you might be generating which extend far beyond your current business plan and even your lifetime.
So let’s think about that for a moment.
Read the rest of this entry »What would happen if everybody in your organization was a leader?
I know what you’re thinking: sheer chaos. Everybody would be doing what they want to, all random and disorganized.
But in fact, it would be healthy thing to think about your people that way. Let me explain.
Read the rest of this entry »I recently had a chance to talk with my friend Chris Hutchinson, who authored the book Ripple : A Field Manual for Leadership That Works.
It reminded me of how much I rely on the side-effects of actions I take in any group of people. Often I’ll be interacting with just one person, but my impact will extend to those they work with, and those THEY touch. And so on and so on.
I suppose it’s inherent in the kind of leadership coaching that I do. I almost never meet or even see my clients’ co-workers or family. Yet those people are affected by the changes my client is is making.
Read the rest of this entry »When disaster strikes, some are affected more than others.
We saw this with the pandemic, with local fires and floods, and with the recent Crowdstrike failure. Every organization has exposure to things outside their control. The image of “fragility” seems appropriate to me.
Some people are super-organized and like to put plans in place for every contingency. Great, I suppose, but the Return on Investment can be very low. Most of us don’t have the time (or willpower!) to plan for unlikely things.
So what’s the right balance?
Read the rest of this entry »As the boss, you may think that leadership is all about making the plan, communicating the plan, and measuring progress.
That’s kinda true, but it’s not the whole story. Not even the most important part.
The plans create a structure and organization. Great! But rarely do they create the focus and energy for getting results. That comes from where you spend your attention.
Read the rest of this entry »What’s changing because of your work?
We all want to make a difference, right? Whether it’s introducing the world to new ideas, or fixing problems, or giving people productive work … that’s where the motivation comes from.
This is true at the individual level, for an organization, even for society as a whole. And the answer is usually different at each level.
Read the rest of this entry »We tend to think of leadership as something you achieve, then you get to keep it forever. Or at least a long time.
But I’m a member of an amazing service organization, Rotary International, which has the practice of changing leadership every year. I’m signed up to be the president of the club for the 2023-24 year, and I’m starting to get my mind wrapped around the implications of that. And trying not to get stressed out about it.
But I’m keenly aware that I’m just a temporary seatholder in a long string of leaders, going back to 1977 for our club. It’s a humbling realization.
Read the rest of this entry »We’re always focused on limits. They provide comfort and security, in a way, because they clearly identify how much achievement is enough.
When somebody says, “give it 110%!”, it’s really just a gentle nudging outside the comfort zone. But that’s not where true breakthroughs come from!
Breakthroughs are 200%. Or 1000%. Or entirely changing the rules of the game.
Read the rest of this entry »
The Values-Based Business 