If your preferred political choice these days is "none of the above," rest assured that this is not a symptom of apathy or indecision, but most likely a sign of robust mental health. Get ready for some uncomfortable truths, and some practical advice about what we, as leaders, can do about political and cultural polarization.
My client was feeling uneasy as we reviewed some confidential all-employee comments that had been collected after a recent town hall event. Most of the comments were unwaveringly positive, focusing on the crisp strategic focus and improving execution that had become noticeable since my client took the reigns of this large firm.
The shift in our politics and discourse to political extremes has left many of us feeling left out and disenfranchised. This has to stop
In my role as a CEO coach, I am sometimes asked if there is one trait that I value over all others in leaders. The answer is yes: resiliency
The new global era is different from the Cold War period. But there are still lessons to be drawn, especially for globetrotting professionals
One of my clients described himself as “pretty risk averse” when we met a few years ago. Fast-forward to today, and this executive and his team have just completed a significant re-invention of their business. Disruptive technology was threatening their existence and they responded with a new platform that has the potential to leapfrog their competitors.
Imagine being a CEO and presenting your Board with a proposal for a major acquisition that could double the size of your company – or destroy it if things go pear-shaped. The Board would expect you to present a detailed valuation, risk analysis, and a clear understanding of synergies before they gave you the green light to proceed. But the dirty little secret is that, despite the perceived comfort of all of this analytical work, changing one or two assumptions buried deep in the spreadsheets could completely change the answer.
I felt myself holding my breath as my client described a particularly challenging board member. He told me how a director had been belligerent and even threatening in 1:1 meetings, and how her aggressive tone had cowed other directors into not expressing their views. Finally he used the word – bully – to describe her, and I forced myself to breathe and relax, even though I felt like getting angry.
