Innovation is all around us, and if you see it, observe and learn from

A classic example of serendipity or success after failure is the story of 3M Post-it notes. In 1974, Stephen Silver at 3M research laboratories was trying to develop a strong adhesive and instead created a new adhesive that was not too strong, could stick on all surfaces and be removed easily without causing damage or leaving residue. Not knowing what...

Entrepreneurs typically run into trouble after they get their new venture

launched.  The character traits and behavioral patterns required to focus an idea and bring it to market have nothing in common with what it takes to transform embryonic enterprise into sustainable business. As a coach to the CEOs of fortune companies, my first objective was...

An experiment conducted by behavioral scientists, discovered that problem

solving procedures were inhibiting creative thought. The traditional method begins with a detailed assessment of the current situation and clarification of specific problems. Researchers assessed the enthusiasm and effectiveness of problem solving groups by measuring room sound...

We would not be here as a species if learning and change had not taken

Imagine a group of Neanderthals, sitting around their fire in the cave, when ‘Karg’, the most free-thinking of the hunters, using whatever grunts and motions he had available, speaks to his fellows. ‘You know, guys, we got the mastodon today, but I wonder how we could kill them without losing so many of us in the process?!’...

Physiologists call it being ‘centered’ and athletes refer to it as

entering the ‘zone’.  There are other names for this special state of being—where a person or team thinks, feels, and performs beyond their habitual limits.  Those wishing to take the lead in an increasingly turbulent world must have the capacity to inspire self and others...

Recently Yahoo fired its CEO, Carol Bartz. Although the company’s stock

Yahoo’s problem is that  web portals are yesterday’s news. People don’t need a single site to click through multiple menus and sub-menus to find what they’re looking for. Search engines like Google deliver more precise results. Yahoo no longer gives web users a compelling reason to visit their site.Yahoo is still a popular site in terms...

corporate survivalNature understands the relationship between efficiency

and survival.  Bees have survived as a species for centuries.  Their life support system obviously works.  When a worker bee returns to the hive after a production trip, it struts out a triangular pattern.  The apex of this triangular waltz points directly to the source of...

Outdated thinking and habits, remnants of the Industrial-age, are causing

serious problems in many organizations—often unbeknown to CEOs and their management teams.  The crux of the problem is depending too heavily on yesterday’s knowledge and experience.  A more suitable alternative in this turbulent world (herein referred to as the “Shift...

As the boomer generation (born between 1946 and 1964) retires, senior

The loss of business intelligence and corporate knowledge, especially in R&D-focused organizations, could amount to billions of dollars in lost intellectual capital. Even those organizations with young employees must consider knowledge management. Knowledge loss also occurs as key personnel resign or are lost to illness or tragedy, taking with...

CEO Barry Wolfson refers to this sixty five year old familybusiness as

, “the oldest startup in history”. How does a locally focused company “break through” to become an international player with multiple distribution channels, including major retail chains? The surface answer is; by developing an innovative product of unsurpassed quality...