Leading for Results
The most important reason to be an effective leader is to help the group achieves its goals. Not for the status, or the power, but the results. So today, find…
The most important reason to be an effective leader is to help the group achieves its goals. Not for the status, or the power, but the results. So today, find…
The departures of key executives from Facebook last week are the latest over the past 18 months. They highlight a number of key lessons in strategy and strategy implementation: Leaders…
Computers get bogged-down over time as programs take more and more memory. Similarly, organization structures and processes get bogged-down by the ongoing addition of policies, procedures, and rules. Almost always…
One of the ways that meetings can be both frustrating and inefficient is when participants are faced with a situation and are going around and around debating alternative solutions. I’ve…
The word “accountability” can have a lot of negative connotations for people, including managers. In most cases, that’s because they either don’t understand accountability, or had a bad experience with…
Last week I was in Chicago and visited the world’s largest and most respected maker of fine stringed instruments, William Harris Lee & Company. They make violins, cellos, and other…
When I see a company year-after-year forecast sizable increases in revenues and profits and regularly miss the forecast I am reminded of Albert Einstein’s admonition about insanity: Doing the same…
Newly-promoted executives face a number of significant challenges as they adapt to an executive role. One of the most significant is the ability to think strategically. In my 30 years…
Innovation and continuous improvement keep operating processes efficient and effective, but too often management processes get neglected and they can cause significant problems during growth. What are management processes? Here…
The Wall Street Journal recently reported that employees are voluntarily quitting their jobs at the highest rate since the internet boom in 2001, and most of them are getting bigger…
Having the right strategy and structure is good, but you need to make sure that you have the right key players in every important management position. Is each one capable…
I’ve been asked what key changes executives need to make in order to have a quantum leap in their effectiveness. What’s interesting about the question is that the answer has…
Most organizations devote a lot more time and money on weak performers than they do on top performers. They think that by investing in the lowest performing people, they will…
Here is one of the most common, yet astounding, things that I see in organizations: Direct reports often aren't clear on what their jobs are. Yes, they are busy all…
You need to make sure that the information you receive is not filtered. That can be more difficult than it seems. You have to make sure that your people understand…
You're the leader. That means you choose the music that everyone dances to. You need to be out in front and leading, providing direction and ideas that excite and motivate…
Make sure that non-performers or weak performers throughout your organization know where they stand. I read a Wall Street Journal article this weekend about the New York City School System…
Here are three suggestions to significantly reduce demands on your time: Attract, develop, and retain really good people who report to you. This is very highest priority because direct reports…
Build both accountability and managerial skills, especially in newly-promoted managers. Instead of asking a manager for detail on project progress, ask what he or she needs to do in his/her…
A common challenge of leaders is to become a better, more inspiring and energizing communicator. To do that, it helps to change your perspective on your business and to think…
Developing a highly-functioning top team is not easy. It takes the right combination of people, agreement on a clear direction, the ability to interact effectively, and a number of other…
This is a good time of year to recognize exceptional performance of one or a few key individuals. Consider a lump-sum cash award, especially if you have someone who does…
When working with clients on implementing strategy, accelerating change, or improving performance, the actual results they achieve can vary greatly. Some clients make good steady progress while others grab ahold…
To be successful, managers and leaders need good relationships with their peers, subordinates and bosses. Yet, I usually see less-than-effective relationships when working with a leader. Often those relationships are…
If you want exponential growth, you need to have a very clear picture of the business you want to have in the future: What will you be providing? Who will…
The long-time Weinstein abuse and harassment was both widespread and known in the entertainment industry and beyond. It was an “open secret” that at least one major media outlet knew…
One of the most important factors in achieving high performance is teamwork. That’s true for two reasons: First, because organizations exist because their overall mission and goals require more than…
Corporate culture is in the news due to the likes of Wells Fargo, Uber, and the Harvey Weinstein Company. CEOs, through their own behavior, set the values and the standards…
Business strategy is all about having a distinctive position in your market, and making that distinctiveness sustainable. A distinctiveness that can be easily replicated is not a good strategy. Companies…
To grow your business and improve profits stop thinking of your company as one of many competitors in a broad market, and define a narrower market niche to focus on.…
The CEO has the responsibility to think strategically about the company and its business. This is a two-fold challenge: The first part is to extricate yourself from day-to-day tactics, problems…
Exactly 20 years ago, Apple came up with a “Think Different” marketing theme. In part it was a rejoinder to IBM’s “Think,” but it resonated widely with businesses. It’s still…
I’ve seen a lot of companies with fairly generic values posted in conference rooms and other work spaces. You know, values such as “Fairness,” “Teamwork,” and “Honesty.” While those are…
These Have to Change When You Become an Executive Leader When a person is promoted to a leadership position as a CEO, COO, president, or senior executive there are three…
Over the past 30 years, I've worked on strategy and strategy execution with the senior management of Fortune 1000 companies, mid-market companies, and Inc 5000 companies. In all that time,…
Professional race car drivers have their eyes well down the track in anticipation and readiness. So do the very best equestrians who immediately upon completing one jump will be looking…
In 1966, The Beatles decided not to tour or do live concerts anymore. They made the decision primarily because they did not feel they were growing, evolving. When they played…
The need to continually develop knowledge and skills is important throughout an organization. You've got to have people who are capable of handling new and bigger challenges in all aspects…
Back before culture surveys, attitude surveys, and engagement surveys, we used to have climate surveys, which were a way to measure the "climate" in an organization. I find it to…
Strategic incentives are a good idea at the top. But getting everyone one in a large company on the same page is difficult, and it doesn't always work. Here are…
Mediocrity is bad for a number of reasons. Workplaces that allow mediocrity also de-motivate high performers. And tolerating mediocrity reduces an organization's energy and productivity, as well as employee engagement…
When something bad is about to happen, people will get tense. When beginning a competition, people will become focused. When preparing for a happy occasion, people will become relaxed. They…
From many years of coaching executives, here are five pointers for becoming a better leader: Hire people who are better than you in their discipline; not subordinates. Focus yourself on…
It's February and you've got most of the year still ahead. See if you can answer these questions clearly and briefly: What is your strategy? What is the over-arching vision…
From over 30 years of working with organizations of all sizes and in many industries on improving business outcomes especially growth and profits: The most valuable part is having a…
Many people tell me that they like my On the Same Page emails because they are brief, to-the-point, and practical. I try to do the same thing when I speak.…
I've been immersed in different cultures for the past couple weeks in Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Yangon, Myanmar. Some observations germane to leaders: These cultures are distinctly different, and based…
Oops! In last Monday's email, I wrote that a 1000-foot runway (implementation plan) would be insufficient for a beautiful jet (corporate strategy) that requires a runway of 10,000 feet. At least…
My client called me to help improve company performance. The strategy they had developed was beautiful, like a new 747, capable of taking them where they wanted to go. The…
This one is simple: If strategy and culture go head-to-head, bet on the culture. Here's why: Too many leaders, especially those who are out to change a company's strategy, think…
The foundation of accountability is commitment. When one is committed to accomplishing something, the hesitation and fear are replaced by resolve and energy. When one is not committed, they tend…
There are very, very few companies that have been great over a long time. It's as if they were able to assemble an organization, a strategy, a culture, and product/services…
Most strategies fail to achieve their objectives, not because the strategies are faulty, but because the implementation is weak. It’s like building a beautiful jet airplane requiring 5000 feet to…
When planning any sort of culture change, be aware that culture change often has an impact on customers and vendors. This is particularly true when making a strategic change in…
There isn't a strategy. The strategy is distributed in 3-ring binders, everyone celebrates getting that done and thinks the strategy will implement itself. The strategy is actually an operations improvement…
Here's what works: Divide your workforce into three groups based on their performance: The top 20%, the middle 70%, and the bottom 10%. On which group do you spend most…
David Ogilve, the advertising guru, once noted that half the money spent on advertising is wasted; the problem being that no one knows which half. The same could be said…
When analyzing a performance problem, I've found it often pays to look at the supervisor or manager and how they manage their people. Examples: Micromanaging Unclear or no accountabilities Weak…
Someone (I think it was Woody Allen) said that the role of the leader is to demonstrate how to act to his/her people. It's sound advice. The most admired leaders…
Your company has a culture. It's the values and beliefs that cause certain behaviors. For example, if people are routinely late for meetings or if there is a stampede to…
If you want to build a high-performance team at the top, you've got to have managers who are professionally close. The big mistake many companies make is to dream-up "team"…
Managers become quite adept at problem solving which involves taking action to bring performance back up to where it once was. You know the drill: An individual's performance declines, a…
Of the things high performers hate most, bureaucratic organizations are in second place (weak supervisors are first.) The key difference between bureaucracies and high-performance organizations is how they value both…
Executives, and most of all, Chief Executives, need to be concerned about the information they are NOT hearing. There are many reasons why the information they get is filtered, even…
A strategic vision is, by far, the least appreciated element of strategy, yet it has the power to focus the strategy, energize innovation, and mobilize an entire organization. There are…
I watched a Charlie Rose interview with Joni Ives last week. Ives is the now legendary head of design for Apple -- the guy who worked so closely with Steve…
Successful organization change requires a number of factors. Perhaps the most important is sponsorship -- the clear and continual reinforcement of the change message by the top leader, and all…
An executive I began coaching shared a concern that people did not participate in meetings. When I sat in to observe, the problem was readily apparent: He would frequently interrupt…
The ability to envision your company's future is important to formulating business strategy. Yogi Berra said, "If you don't know where you're going, you'll end up someplace else." It's also…
Here is a list of what my best clients do: Understand that your commitment to the strategy is on the line everyday. Lead strategy formulation and implementation. Communicate strategy over…
In my consulting and coaching, I usually see clear distinctions between upper and lower levels of management on a number of factors including how time is used, people management skills,…
I've met, observed, and worked with hundreds of leaders -- only a couple dozen or so who I've considered to be extraordinary. While they've differed considerably in their leadership and…
During the many years I've been working with companies, the characteristics of high-performing and ineffective organizations is stark. In high-performing companies, people talk about the many ways to achieve significantly…
This newsletter is entitled "On the Same Page." It can refer to many things including an orchestra whose members are following the score, or the dramatis personae of a play,…
If you want to establish strong leadership power and influence, learn what it means to establish "referent" power. It is far more effective than power based on position, title, or…
To dramatically grow your business, you've got to execute. Even it you've got a great strategy, how it is executed makes all the difference. I've compiled a list of 19…
Over my career I've worked with at least a thousand executives, including hundreds of CEOs and presidents. The best ones aren't so concerned with making incremental improvements -- that's what…
Benchmarking is a tried-and-true approach for operational processes, but it should not be used to determine how best to structure or lead an organization. Yeah, I know, finding out what…
When people are micro-managed, they become self-conscious, intimidated, mistake avoiding, and fearful. They wait for orders, subdue their creativity, and rarely make suggestions. That's not the kind of people you…
There's a lot of talk about innovation these days. Much of it is academic and lacks practical application. Here are three important tactics from my work helping companies become more…
Last week I attended M.I.T's graduation to see my son receive his Ph.D. in Aeronautic and Astronautic Engineering. The guest speaker was Megan Smith, Chief Technology Officer of the United…
From my observations over 30 years of consulting, coaching, and executive work: The best leaders know that people respond to excellent managers, challenging and stimulating work, and high-level opportunities to…
90% of managers believe they are good or excellent communicators, while the people they're leading put that number at about 20%. That is pretty much universal. What makes for an…
My most successful clients are very good at aligning individual goals with strategic intent so that everybody is actively working to achieve the company's strategy and acting like an owner…
My wife has a large garden which produces an abundance of vegetables we eat throughout the year -- we still have garlic, beans, hot peppers, and frozen veggies like peas,…
I don't know where this came from, but I hear way too many people talking about deliverables. Maybe it's because a deliverable is better than lots of activity, but what…
What obstacles are in your growth path? Most of my clients are pushing hard for growth right now. If that's you too, I have one question for you: What are…
One of the highest concerns of presidents I talk with these days is how to create an organization that is more proactive in sensing external change, and more responsive when…
Getting consensus is good -- but commitment is essential. I have seen leaders who spend all their time getting their team to reach consensus, but fail over and over again…
It's the fallacy that if someone understands the theory, or the practice, or simply what to do, that he or she will do it. We see it all the time:…
Instilling accountability is very important. It is the fast track to commitment, performance, and people development. Unfortunately, way too many leaders, managers, and supervisors see accountability as making people responsible…
Many leaders today still subscribe to the idea that everyone reporting to them must conform to the leader's thoughts and opinions--both before decisions are made, and after. This slavish devotion…
This is Thanksgiving week in the United States. It's a time to give thanks to your coworkers, your employees, your customers, and vendors. And especially to give thanks to your…
In the news last week were Robert Gates, Leon Panetta, and other former members of the Obama cabinet decrying the micromanagement that has characterized the administration's style. A micromanagement style…
Excellent companies--those who excel for the long-term--are good at both the analytics of costs and efficiencies, and in improving their organization's ability to learn, innovate, and adapt to change. The…
Growing a business is not easy. The challenge is particularly acute for entrepreneurs who successfully launch a business, but soon find that the leadership style that got the business to…
Most attempts at organization change fail. Even if the change is eventually successful, the cost is often far higher than necessary. Those costs include complaints from people who feel threatened,…
An important factor in implementing your strategy is getting your board involved. Yet many of the boards I work with spend way too much time on the past--reviewing operational updates…
For years I've helped companies improve innovation in a number of ways, and I continue to find that innovation itself is widely misunderstood. Innovation is how companies rapidly grow revenues…