Best-selling business author Ken Blanchard believes leadership is an inside-out proposition. “It begins by asking yourself a tough question: ‘Am I here to serve or be served?’” he says. According to Blanchard, the answer to this question will reveal your fundamental approach to leadership. “If you believe leadership is all about you, where you want…
When people ask Ken Blanchard what he wants his legacy to be, he is quick to answer, “Servant leadership.” That surprises some people who might expect him to point to his company’s flagship leadership program, Situational Leadership® II, or his best-selling business book, The One Minute Manager®. Blanchard explains he is proud of the concepts…
With so much emphasis on setting goals at the beginning of the New Year, why do so many people end up off track by the middle of March? Ken Blanchard discovered the reason early in his career after the release of his all-time best-selling business book with Spencer Johnson, The One Minute Manager®. In working…
“Too many leaders have been conditioned to think of leadership only in terms of power and control,” says best-selling business author Ken Blanchard in the July/August issue of Chief Learning Officer magazine. “But there is a better way to lead—one that combines equal parts serving and leading. This kind of leadership requires a special kind…
When people hear the phrase servant leadership, they are often confused. These folks think you can’t lead and serve at the same time. Yet you can, if you understand that servant leadership consists of two parts: A visionary/direction, or strategic, role—the leadership aspect of servant leadership; and An implementation, or operational, role—the servant aspect of…
How can you tell if you have a trusting work environment? By reading nonverbal clues, says Ken Blanchard in his March column for Chief Learning Officer magazine. “If people trust leadership, they’re willing to turn their backs to their bosses. In other words, they turn and focus on their own work because they know the…
What is the key to being an effective manager? Ken Blanchard takes a look in two new videos. In the first, Ken shares a story about being a college professor and giving out the answers to the final exam on the first day of class. In the second, Ken identifies the three aspects of performance management—goal…
If you are a leader, the end of the year is an opportunity for you to celebrate and thank everyone in your organization who, throughout the year, contributed to its success. However, encouragement and recognition shouldn’t be a once-a-year event—it ought to be a leader’s constant mindset, according to Ken Blanchard, management expert and coauthor…
Ken Blanchard recently posted a Thanksgiving holiday video on his YouTube and Facebook channels sharing his thoughts on being thankful along with some of the ways his family builds gratitude into their holiday traditions. As Ken shares,“Life is a very special occasion—don’t miss it. Part of that is being thankful for the blessings you have. It doesn’t mean that there…
Blanchard ignite! brings learning, leadership, and talent development professionals free online resources each month plus a deep dive into a hot leadership topic. Subscriptions are free (use the link on the right.) Check out these top articles from recent issues! IMPROVING LEADERSHIP ONE CONVERSATION AT A TIME Executive coach Madeleine Blanchard held the phone to her…