How P&G opened its doors to innovation

  • February 27, 2013

For generations, Procter & Gamble innovated from within. The giant consumer products company that makes Tide detergent and Crest toothpaste conducted...

Wooing a big client? Proceed in steps

  • January 29, 2013

Joseph Duveen, a prominent British art dealer in the early 20th century, wanted to win Andrew Mellon as a client. Rather than simply contact the American banker and...

Ask 6 questions to identify the problem

  • January 27, 2013

Begin every conversation geared toward problem-solving by identifying the problem and how it might be solved. Six questions should guide your actions.

How Leaders Gain Momentum

  • January 24, 2013

Watch the Super Bowl next week and I can guarantee two things: You’ll see far too many camera shots of celebrities at the game, and the word momentum will be...

Larry Page and Google’s midlife crisis

  • January 10, 2013

Google is losing employees to hot startups, while behemoth competitors like Facebook, Amazon and Apple vie for consumers’ time. How is CEO Larry Page pulling...

Do you exhibit a global mindset?

  • January 04, 2013

In today’s economy, leaders must look beyond borders and develop a global mindset. The ability to broaden your perspective and understand different cultures gives...

Don’t promote too quickly

  • January 01, 2013

Holly Graf was booted as commander of a warship in 2010 for “cruelty and mal­­treatment” of her 400-member crew. According to the inspector general,...

Sam Adams used propaganda as a tool

  • December 26, 2012

Sometimes, leaders must resort to subterfuge. That’s what Samuel Adams and other colonists did to whip up hostility against the English in the late 1760s. One of...

A blueprint to boost self-awareness

  • December 25, 2012

Leaders with emotional intelligence rarely possess it by accident. Their high self-awareness lets them see cause-effect relationships between their feelings and their...

Humbled, a CEO learns to listen better

  • December 21, 2012

Soon after John Heer joined North Mississippi Health Services as CEO in 2004, he decided to improve how his leadership team managed their employees. They evaluated...

How to Finish the Year Strong

  • December 18, 2012

As I write this, there are still two weeks left in the year. Two weeks – almost 4% of the year. Yet many people are already in holiday-coasting mode. So what do I...

When is the Best Time to Coach?

  • December 12, 2012

Have you ever heard the old quotation, “When the student is ready, the teacher appears”? At that moment of readiness we are most open to new ideas, most...

How to reverse a failure

  • December 10, 2012

When something fails, follow these steps: 1. Look in the mirror. 2. Go right back to work. 3. Communicate directly. 4. Seek other leaders on the team. 5. Make necessary...