Leadership

One of the most destructive forces in a company is caused by fear. Just as pollution damages the environment, fear is toxic to companies. Fear destroys creativity, shatters loyalty, and discourages people who want to “do what’s right.” While some managers use fear to stop an activity, this tactic never inspires anyone to perform at their best. When people play it safe rather than sailing uncharted waters, they limit opportunities and often put off decision making. Moreover, fear instills a real sense of powerlessness, discouraging people from openly questioning things, challenging the status quo, or confronting someone when they think something is wrong. When people are afraid to make suggestions or say what’s on their minds, or feel that speaking    Read more…

The car with a religious bumper sticker just cut me off. The parent makes the rules and then routinely breaks them. The leader just asked everyone to scale back and then spends like there’s no tomorrow. The politician says, “Trust me,” but we quickly learn that his promises are empty. The truth is, talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words. Why do people say one thing and do another? Why do they make promises one second only to break them minutes later? Why do people say they care when it’s so obvious they couldn’t care less? Can’t they see the potential damage to their credibility? Why would they torpedo a relationship that’s taken them a lifetime to build? Don’t    Read more…

You’re going to take the world by storm. You’re talented and trustworthy, and you have a work ethic that’s second to none. These words probably aren’t coming as a surprise. You’ve already achieved a successful track record and have earned the trust and respect of your peers. Sure, you’ll be faced with obstacles, slammed by adversity, and may even doubt yourself along the way. But I’m confident that you have what it takes to be a success. You’re going to be a star. There’s just one thing I’d like you to keep top of mind: Courage. It’s important for you to believe in yourself, stand up for the principles that you hold dear, and see the world for what it    Read more…

How to Destroy Creativity and Innovation

Once upon a time, there was a brat named Phil T. Rich. He grew up with everything a kid could want. He had every gadget imaginable, a house that rivaled the Disney castle, and parents who gave him free rein to do whatever he wanted. Unfortunately, his parents were rarely around for him. And when they weren’t working “killer hours,” they were off to the club to play golf and trade gossip with friends. Phil knew that he wasn’t like the other kids. Whenever he wanted something, he snapped his fingers and it appeared — like magic. He didn’t have to work hard in school because he knew his parents would pull strings to get him into college and ultimately    Read more…

I watch the killing that’s taking place around the world and ask myself why? How can someone be so intolerant that they can kill another person over their beliefs? How can someone be so angry that they’re willing to take the life of an innocent child to advance a cause? How can someone be so confused that they refuse to honor and value a life? There’s no simple answer to the horrific crisis that we face, but I’m convinced that a contributing factor is the poisoning of our minds. We are bombarded with hatred, intolerance, and violence every day. The entertainment industry incorporates hate, intolerance, and violence into movies, music, comedy routines, and video games in order to increase sales.    Read more…

Like me, many Americans are awakened at night by anxiety: We’re worried about the future, whether we’ll have jobs tomorrow, whether our families are safe, how the debt and deficit will affect our country’s global competitiveness, and about the world that we’re leaving to our children. While health care, the deficit, nuclear proliferation, and unemployment are among the top issues of the day, trust between our leaders and the American people is surely the foremost issue of our times. How much time do politicians spend measuring their words, covering their behinds or plotting against the opposing party rather than doing the people’s work? It’s no wonder that their actions encourage cynicism, apathy, and anger among Americans. If we can’t trust    Read more…

For today’s employee, being part of something special and making a difference in the world, is much more important than the rewards sought by yesterday’s “me” generation. The new breed of employee wants to work for an organization that they can feel proud of––one that contributes back to society; an organization that has values and viewpoints compatible with their own; an organization that is oriented toward the long haul, working toward the prevention of ills, not just curing the symptoms; an organization that cares about morals and ethics and doing what is in the best interests of its customers; an organization that doesn’t dominate their lives and allows them ample time to spend with their families; and one that cares    Read more…

Many people find routines irritating because they stifle creativity and create inflexibility, but they can also be time-saving devices that minimize mistakes. For example, doctors use diagnostic routines for their patients, and airline pilots go through checklists prior to takeoff. Edward de Bono explains in Six Action Shoes that “in some ways routines provide freedom. If we had to think about every action we take, then life would be very slow and very complicated. Following a routine actually frees us to attend to matters that really need our attention. . . . Instead of having to analyze each new experience, we simply recognize the situation by using a perceptual pattern.” In other words, routines save us time by allowing us    Read more…

One of the most destructive forces in a company is caused by fear. Just as pollution damages the environment, fear is toxic to companies. Fear destroys creativity, shatters loyalty, and discourages people who want to “do what’s right.” While some managers use fear to stop an activity, this tactic never inspires anyone to perform at their best. When people believe they lack control, they become fearful –– even if imagined. Fears arise over things that are concrete and immediate, such as loss of a job, as well as over things that are more ephemeral and long term, such as embarrassment or damage to one’s career. When people play it safe rather than sailing uncharted waters, they limit opportunities and often    Read more…