Observations made during my career as an executive coach suggests that

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Great minds have been part of the human race since the beginning of time

.  Advancing technology will change how we plan and work—but what goes on within and between people is much the same as it was during the time of Moses.  The following piece of wisdom is from the 17th century.  If you choose to lead at home, out in the community, or at work...

The five year old that still lives in all of us, loves to hear and tell

stories. Brand power comes from carefully developing an emotional relationship with consumers.  Relationships with a brand are built on a story foundation.  They all speak of, and relentlessly deliver on a compelling brand promise—think Apple, Starbucks, or McDonalds.  Most...

Before the age of five, we have learned most of what we need to survive

as human beings.  We learned what is really important not by listening, but by watching what the powerful adults in our life did.  Prior to developing verbal skills, we couldn’t understand what Mom and Dad said, so we paid close attention to visuals, instinctively knowing that...

So your company has something unique—a competitive edge that really

differentiates you in the market.  Perhaps it’s one or several of the following: product line, location, method of serving customers, a family ambiance, or it might be that you have a group of inspired colleagues. What has caused your success is forcing you to grow.  OOPS! Your...

align using the corporate equivalent of a north star: your brand promise

Companies need the equivalent of the North Star to make it through uncertain times.  In what futurists are calling the “shift-age”, people will feel less threatened when meaningful purpose is shared with likeminded others.  Unswerving commitment to a brand promise fosters tenacity and courage because it promotes faith that after a crisis, the...

Prosperity depends on survival.  To survive and prosper, companies and

employees must accept that doing more with less is the new normal.  Marginal performers not only fail to carry a fair share of the load, they eat up an inordinate amount of resources because of needless waste and rework.  More importantly, marginal performers inhibit the generation...

A rapidly changing world has of necessity changed CEO and executive behavior

from the autocratic application of personal power to delegating responsibility and organizing to accommodate collaborative teamwork.  An old adage remains true—with one critically important alteration:  “Speed of the leader (S) -speed of the pack”.  Effective CEOs...

Surviving today while securing a prosperous tomorrow will not happen using

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successful implementation of strategic initiatives require cultural alignment

Quality is no longer a competitive advantage.  Today’s priority is to be heard in a “noisy” marketplace. What strategic imperative will set the pace tomorrow?  Whatever it turns out to be, rest assured that  strategic imperatives will continue to change at an ever increasing rate.  Without adjustment,  the capacity or willingness of employees...