Leadership is in Every One of Us
Leadership is in Every One of Us Some CEOs have it and others do not. Office managers and plumbers express leadership better than their bosses at times. If it isn’t a function of title or hierarchical position, what is the key to leadership? It is a way of being. Sometimes we experience this way of being and sometimes we don’t. But we know that it is in every one of us. And we can intentionally develop a leadership way of being – if we are willing to acknowledge our unique talents and risk expressing them. Our yearlong leadership program involves a process of self-selection that invites those who are willing to uncover their potential as leaders to step up…to explore …continue reading…
A Flourishing Business is Built on Values
We all long to work in an environment that flourishes with prosperity. Prosperity that nurtures our souls as well as our financial needs. The key is your relationship to your core values. We are affiliates of the Barrett Values Centre, an internationally recognized leader in making the connection between the health of your business and your values, culture, and leadership consciousness. The Values Centre’s Cultural Transformation Tools (CTT) are currently being used in 60 countries to support more than 3,000 organizations and leaders in their transformational journeys. The fundamental principle is you can best manage and change what you can measure. The Values Centre’s tools allow you to measure and manage your organizational values along a full spectrum organizational consciousness …continue reading…
Lasting Impact
Rose Holden is a CEO of a small family business who took our yearlong leadership program in 2007. She recently wrote to us, “I still find it amazing that your program has had such an effect on my life.” Michael Biehler is a successful realtor, who says, “In December of 2001 I embarked on your 12 month program after having been in real estate for nine years prior with only average sales. I set my goal to double my business over the next twelve months and not only did I achieve that goal but increased my volume every year for the next 5 years. Since the recession my last 3 years have been back to average, but this year I’ll …continue reading…
Talking About Spirituality in Business
I am working with the Fowler Center for Sustainable Value at Case Western University with a handful of academic and professional colleagues on a very inspiring assignment. The Fowler Center board has endorsed a “focus on spirituality as an essential component of the Center’s mission…to help leaders capitalize on new profitable business opportunities to solve the world’s growing social and environmental problems.” This is a magnificent insight into our current reality with clear acceptance of where the sustainability movement is today. And we are encountering our humanity as we move forward: there is trepidation in even using the word “spirituality” in our written work. For me, this is a natural expression of our human emotions as we face up to …continue reading…
How Old Are You?
With many of us in my 60 something generation facing the retirement questions that our new economy never anticipated, we need to look at things from a new perspective. Financial security on the High Road has always been a function of contributing to society in a way that adds real value to the quality of people’s lives. It’s never been, for many of us, a function of how much money we have stashed away for the time “we no longer need to work for our living.” We love our work and don’t want to stop contributing. The challenging new economy may now be supporting you to keep contributing as a necessity, in addition to the opportunity it has always been. …continue reading…
Transformational Dilemma
One of our clients is very gifted and no stranger to winning awards in an industry that is highly competitive. His track record, beginning with being voted class president as a senior in both high school and college, is one stellar accomplishment after another – for several decades. He has a great heart and his work opens the hearts of others. But, he has one little problem. His ego gets in his way occasionally. It’s easy to let our success go to our head. What we see time and time again is that eventually, the unhealthy aspects of our egos catch up with us. He knows this is true because he has a number of incredible projects just about to …continue reading…
Where’s Deming?
William Edwards Deming was very well known for popularizing quality through process improvement in the second half of the 20th century. One of his principles was that “people are rarely the problem if the process is robust enough.” I was coaching two different CEOs yesterday who were each frustrated that the processes they had in place had not prevented serious breakdowns in their businesses. In each case it appeared to me that the process was fine, but the people involved were not robust enough. It got me thinking about Deming for the first time in years, and I noticed I had not heard one word about him in a very long time. In fact, I had to think hard to …continue reading…
Anyone Remember Highest Intentions?
As we’ve been exploring different questions around the idea of being a peaceful warrior who is waging the right wars, our country has been ensnarled in a political quagmire around our national debt. I have been a lifelong Independent as I believe in a “meritocracy decision making model,” so I have no interest in advocating for who’s right or who’s wrong here. Let’s consider all points of view and let the best ideas prevail in the spirit of unity, is where I always come from. Reports out of Washington DC these days range from disappointing to disgusting: another meeting with no progress… to … I will not let you win or look good. All activity and behavior is based on …continue reading…
The Wounded Peaceful Warrior
Sometimes the best of us go through times of difficulty. We find ourselves being criticized. We are not producing the results we need. We stress ourselves out with thoughts of limitation. We get sick or injured. We forget what we are about for a moment and lose heart. This is all to be expected as part of the natural course of our journey. We don’t like these times, but we can learn to love the opportunities they present. During times of ease it is “easy” to be at our best and make our contribution to the world in a heartfelt manner. But how well do we do when it seems we are under attack? During these moments we have the …continue reading…
Peaceful Warrior or Heart Pummeler?
Yes, I know pummeler is not a word but you get the idea. Last week a valued executive said, “I often feel as if my colleagues are beating the crap out of me.” This is not an inspired and hopeful place to lead from. If you were a Peaceful Warrior how would you approach this person who acknowledges that organizational performance is not meeting expectations in this tough economy – and that she is often defensive when questions and new ideas are presented? We suggest you begin with your own leadership heart and ensure your compassion matches your convictions that change is necessary. Your tendency to criticize must be transformed into a commitment to offer strong support and unflinching certainty …continue reading…
