Recognizing and Recovering From Blind Spots

July 11, 2013

As leaders, we simply don’t pay enough attention to blind spots. Experience blinds us to current struggles and difficulties. When we’re so wrapped up in past success, we begin to miss what’s going on in our lives today. If not looked for and anticipated, change – and its sub-elements, tension and balance – can become […]

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How Great Leaders Grow Through Adversity

July 5, 2013

Over the years, I’ve interviewed extraordinary leaders and asked them to tell me the stories of their most intense struggles. Through their narratives, a mosaic appeared of how great leaders grow through challenge and adversity. Society sees struggle as a negative, a sign of weakness or incompetence, something we must feel embarrassed about, something we should […]

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What Microsoft Needs

June 26, 2013

Because of my past connection to Microsoft, I’ve been following the news of Microsoft’s planned reorganization as well as Steve Ballmer’s role in directing it. This morning, I discussed how Microsoft can position themselves with corporate strategies for success on Bloomberg TV. Here are the high points: Steve Ballmer needs to create an organizational structure […]

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How to break out of dysfunctional habits

June 2, 2013

Do you have behaviors or emotions you would like to change? Perhaps you get angry a little too often, or find yourself retreating when there’s conflict. Or maybe you are in a dissatisfying relationship, are frustrated with your boss, or just feel like the world isn’t giving you what you need. If so, Tara Bennett-Goleman’s […]

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Leadership Lessons from PepsiCo CEO, Indra Nooyi

May 7, 2013
Thumbnail image for Leadership Lessons from PepsiCo CEO, Indra Nooyi

I have long been a fan of PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi. Early in her tenure as CEO she announced “Performance with Purpose,” a mantra that would become central to the PepsiCo journey over these past six years. Today, she spoke at the Carlson School First Tuesday luncheon. Cheered by an enthusiastic and appreciative crowd of […]

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Are You Unafraid to Fail?

April 3, 2013

Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending an uplifting talk by D&B CEO Sara Mathew at the Carlson School of Management’s First Tuesday luncheon. Mathew told of her remarkable journey from an entry-level clerk at Procter and Gamble to the top job at another venerable institution, Dun and Bradstreet. By itself, this is a very […]

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Words of appreciation and gratitude on this special day

March 11, 2013

Today is the official “publication date” of my first book, Leadership and the Art of Struggle, beginning a weeklong online launch celebration.  There will be tweet chats, blog reviews, radio interviews, tweets, and Facebook excitement. As all this is going on, I want to take a moment to express my appreciation to the many people […]

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It’s All Coming Together

March 6, 2013

The official launch date for my book is only days away and I am amazed and gratified at how well it is all coming together. This week we’ve seen some tremendous coverage in the press, with reviews on major media outlets, byline article placement, and blogger reviews. Here is a sampling of some of this […]

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The Space Between Stimulus and Response

February 18, 2013

So often when we get into an argument, or even a vigorous debate, we don’t even stop to listen to what is being said. Instead, we frequently simply reiterate our position, albeit ever more forcefully. This is too bad, because it misses a huge opportunity. Author Stephen Covey has written extensively about a perceptive passage […]

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What The Book of Mormon Teaches Us About Leadership Struggle

February 13, 2013

Recently, I saw the musical satire, The Book of Mormon. While I had already listened to the sound track, and even purchased and read through the script, I found myself surprised by how deeply I was stirred by the live performance. As the layers of artistic brilliance echoed within me, I began to connect with […]

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