Elmer can fix anything, can give directions to get to anywhere, and will rush into a crisis with a plan and mobilizing others to join him to reset the balance of the situation. His greatest strength, however is leading people: without the benefit of a mantle of title, or formal authority, he has an eager… Read more »
As the story goes, when asked by his father about who chopped down the cherry tree, George Washington said “I cannot tell a lie, I did it with my little hatchet.” While this actually did not happen, throughout his life, Washington demonstrated a strict adherence to telling the truth, especially to himself. Historical accounts tellRead… Read more »
We are embarking on the greatest business revolution in 4 generations. It affects the whole economy. The biggest change in ownership since WWII is starting now and will continue through the next 15 years. More than one half of small and medium business in the American economy are owned and managed by Boomers, and willRead… Read more »
There are a multitude of first things that need to be done when you take over in an organization as the new person – especially if you are at the top of the org chart. When I was elected president of the board of a country club, I immediately talked with the key staff andRead… Read more »
OK, it is clear to me now – the internet is not a passing novelty, it is a creation tool of considerable versatility and depth, and fosters creativity at every turn. IaaT – the Internet as a Tool is here to stay. Back in the ‘90s, my organization went through an image update – aRead… Read more »
Picture this: Lucy has convinced Charlie Brown to run up to kick the football while she is holding it. Charlie races toward the ball and just before he kicks it, Lucy pulls it away – again. Of course, Charlie kicks nothing but air and winds up on his back with a thud; humiliated and disappointedRead… Read more »
During a period of more than 10 years, as a CEO, Director, and Board Chairman, I have been responsible for disposing of three organizations and have been an acquisition target of two other organizations. I have been a close observer of several others. Here’s what I learned. Start Early. From concept to handing over theRead… Read more »
A popular quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin is: Nothing is certain but death and taxes. True – however, the timing of one and the amount of the other are not certain. Leaders face certainty and uncertainty when painting their vision – e.g., revenue must cover expenses for an organization to be viable, but the timingRead… Read more »
Greatness is a perception by others. What makes a leader great is more than achieving the mission, goal, or results – greatness is also about how he or she got us there. It’s a complex set of factors not adequately described by a couple of words – but we can get in the general vicinityRead… Read more »
In the early days the Personal Computer, a major upgrade was the addition of a 20 megabyte hard drive – plenty of space for programs, files and other treasure. However, floppy disks were required for sharing files (predates networked computers, and long before WiFi). Several times a during a day I would need a formattedRead… Read more »