The Promise of Servant Leadership Servant Leadership is defined as “a philosophy and set of practices that enriches the lives of individuals, builds better organizations, and ultimately creates a more just and caring world.“ (Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership.) This definition offers an audacious claim – “a more just and caring world.” Can it deliver…
High impact organizations intentionally create cultures of courage. These elite organizations are unafraid of employees who think boldly. In fact, they thrive on a workforce that is unafraid to speak up and question norms. Organizations that can create a culture of courage are the innovators. In contrast, mediocre organizations, rely on a select few to…
Leadership principles and values have been a subject for discussion since Aristotle. Every writer has their top ten leadership principles and values considered essential for effective leadership. However, the real question is not what they are, but do they mean anything? In the heat of competitive battle, do leadership principles and values get in the…
It is time to think about love in the same breath with leadership. It is word we don’t use too often, especially in a fast passed technology driven, competitive market. Yet when leaders of world class organizations speak of love, it is time we start paying attention.
There is no conflict between the morality of taking care of workers and expecting high stakeholder value. In fact, taking care of the workforce drives stakeholder value. Excellence combines both the moral argument of care for people and the economic driver of stakeholder value
Private organizations have much they could learn from the military. Everyday, the armed forces take ordinary young men and women and turn them into leaders. It is a routine and we can all learn much by their process and example.
They are to so simple; we overlook them. In our technical sophistication, we often ignore the simple routines that make for elite level performance. Yet we are all creatures of habits and routines. Charles Duhigg, in his book The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business discovered the power…
The latest Gallup numbers tell us that engaging employees is a central fixture with organizations that consistently maximize their impact. Here is a true story of a company with high levels of employee engagement. I had finished a tour of a manufacturing company. They design and manufacture custom commercial and retail furniture. Their size prohibits…
Elite organizations do not leave the critically important function of leadership up to the good will of a few. They intentionally design their system of leadership to give them the best opportunity of achieving their business objectives.
Innovation is seldom a light bulb moment of genius. Usually, it is a collaborative process of sharing ideas.