If you’ve ever stood under a high-voltage transmission line, you know

the sound of energy flowing.  There’s a similar hum from high performance organizations.  It’s evident the moment you step through the door because every employee is turned on—they agree with what their organization stands for and are excited about being part of it.                                                                                                                              ...

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...

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...

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...

Aligning a culture to support strategic initiatives such as delivering

on a brand promise, begins with the clarification of shared values—a task that is easier said than done—the critical factor is the word “shared”.  Values are not what organizations claim or wish them to be.  Values are signaled to the world by what a company tolerates. ...

Researchers have proven that behavior is influenced by attire.  For example

, students improve academic performance and get into less trouble after school, when they wear school uniforms.  Esprit de corps in the Canadian military suffered when the Government tried to economize by standardizing army, navy, and air force uniforms.  Traditions associated...

I couldn’t think of anything to add to the following wellness recipe

...

Life is like pasta. No matter what you put together, it’s usually good

. But with information about the shape of the pasta (what makes it unique) and how to select a sauce that fits, a pasta dish can move from good to great. Here’s a quick pasta lesson: Pasta is a “carrier” – the shape of the pasta is mainly used to appreciate and celebrate...

Following are results a recent U.K. study by the Chartered Institute for

It’s the neutrally engaged that are most interesting. 72% of them say they are treated fairly by their boss, 22% of them are actively job hunting.  The definition of “neutrally engaged”  is doing their job well enough to get by, but not bringing extra effort, creativity, or personal interest to their roles.  To the neutrally engaged it’s...