About this blog
I write about communication, leadership and change, drawing on a 30-year career in journalism, public relations and management.
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Category Archives: Leadership
What business are you in? Or how not to be a railroad man
In his 1960 essay, “Marketing Myopia,” Harvard Business School professor Theodore Levitt famously asked readers to consider what business they were really in. He argued that the railroads lost their market share (and nearly disappeared) because they incorrectly thought they … Continue reading
Posted in Leadership, Marketing
Tagged business, customers, HBR, Marketing Myopia, Theodore Levitt
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What does a CEO want?
It seems that we are always guessing what CEOs want. Even the Mentalist would be hard-pressed to figure out some of the inscrutable things they say. “Transparency” may have climbed to the top of most organizations’ list of core values, … Continue reading
Posted in Leadership, Management, Organization
Tagged Anthony Shop, CEO, Conference Board, customer relationships, Freud, human capital, innovation, operational excellence, PRSA-NCC
2 Comments
5 lessons children can teach us about employee engagement
You’d think that with all of the books, seminars and coaching out there on building winning teams, we’d be doing a better job of engaging employees. But not according to a pair of studies noted in the latest issue of … Continue reading
Posted in Leadership, Management
Tagged authentic, children, communication, dreams, engagement, focus, imagination, moment, PRSA, stretch goals, team building, teams
4 Comments
On judging people and being a better conversationalist
Judging people is a difficult, but necessary part of running a business, managing a team or being a volunteer leader. It’s especially crucial if you are an independent consultant since you are often entrusting your future in partners, vendors and … Continue reading
Aristotle, mentoring and the friends we choose
A few weekends ago, I was searching for something to read and found a slim volume by Peter Taylor that had been gathering dust on my shelf. Taylor was the gifted short-story writer and novelist who won a Pulitzer Prize … Continue reading
Posted in Careers, Leadership
Tagged Aristotle, Brenton Weyi, coaching, James Joyce, Jim Rohn, mentoring, Peter Taylor, reinventing yourself
7 Comments
Words and the meaning of leadership
I can be very persnickety when it comes to words. I keep a dictionary and thesaurus program open on my desktop, alongside Word, as I write. Sometimes I’ll consult the Oxford English Dictionary—when I’m really curious about a word’s usage. … Continue reading
Posted in Leadership, Organization
Tagged fishing, meanings, Oxford English Dictionary, words, Writing
2 Comments
Hey, dreamer, start paying attention to your firm’s goals!
I rarely remember my dreams; and when I do, they generally aren’t about work. Usually some childhood fear rears its ugly head, and once again I am reliving the anxiety of forgetting my homework, failing a test or becoming hopelessly … Continue reading
Posted in Goal setting, Leadership, Management
Tagged business plan, CEO, goals, measurement, strategic plan
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Love, leadership and Valentine’s Day
Flip through radio stations or your own collection of CDs and MP3s, and I bet every other song will be about some aspect of love or romance. Looking for love, falling in love, falling out of love, breaking up, getting … Continue reading
Posted in Leadership, Purpose
Tagged Corinthians, Jackie DeShannon, love, Paul, Valentine's Day
6 Comments
Why is delegating so hard? Let me count the ways
I am not the best at delegating. And judging by the volume of “how-to” articles on this subject in journals like HBR, I’m not alone. Many executives and leaders fall down when it comes to delegating—and ultimately it can harm … Continue reading
Posted in Careers, Leadership, Management
Tagged delegating, giving credit, HBR, letting go, trust
2 Comments
The Wayward Journey 