Once, while sharing her thoughts on leadership, Colleen Barrett, president emeritus of Southwest Airlines (stock symbol LUV), was asked if she was worried that competitors would now be able to steal her management ideas—like writing thousands of thank you notes to employees. She said “no” because the real magic wasn’t in knowing the concepts, it was…
Contrary to the “Don’t get personal at work” philosophy there is growing evidence that strong relationships at work are a key ingredient to high performance. In Why Relationships at Work Are So Important, best-selling author Susan Fowler, a senior consulting partner with The Ken Blanchard Companies explains that “relatedness”—a feeling of connectedness and belonging—is one…
John Wooden’s passing on June 4, 2010 marked the loss of a legend in the field of leadership. “Coach,” as he was known, inspired countless people over the years through his teachings, writings, and selfless acts of service. Wooden’s contributions as a writer, speaker, and thought leader far exceeded his impact as a basketball coach…
The underdog New Orleans Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in yesterday’s NFL Super Bowl, in large part I believe, to the power of their purpose. Purpose is defined as “the reason for which something exists or is done; an intended or desired result; determination, resoluteness.” Not that the Colts didn’t have a purpose because…
Do you think about the culture operating in your organization? Unless you’re employed in a human resource capacity, the answer is probably “no.” In a new article entitled Creating a Culture That Works, senior consulting partners Chris Edmonds and Bob Glaser say that culture is usually poorly understood in most organizations even though it is…
The unfortunate and sad news of recent extra-marital affairs in politics once again highlights the damage that can be done when a person in a significant position of leadership suffers a moral or ethical failure. The extent of the collateral damage of these actions remain to be seen, but this much is obvious – people…
Chris Edmonds, our senior consulting partner who presented Revitalizing the Downsized Organization last week once told me, “Without a behavioral definition of values, confusion reigns when staff members try to hold each other accountable.” In other words, people need to see an example of the kind of behavior that’s expected of them at work. …