Every organization has what we call “hidden learning loops.” These networks of information send powerful signals to employees. Who has access to the boss? Who gets the newest computers? Whose budget is protected? Whose ego is prickly? Patterns like these send powerful messages – and create hidden learning loops in the organization. Consider the question …
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Leaders should not only celebrate successes, but failures as well. Failures are inevitable on the path of innovation, and smart leaders know there’s much to be learned from failure. We worked with a company that made software applications for medium-sized companies. Tom, the company’s CEO, was a big, affable guy in his mid-40s and a …
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“I don’t know anyone who planned to be here,” a CEO of a software company remarked during a forum for CEOs. “I think I got here because of a combination of luck, character, and divine design.” It’s true that you can’t plot your course exactly. But here are five unexpected qualities of virtually every great …
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From the board of directors, CEO, and the executive team on down, it is essential for every person within an organization to have clearly defined roles. That sounds like a basic concept, doesn’t it? So why do so many businesses or organizations get bogged down in bureaucracy when it comes to decision making? It’s because …
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Leadership is all about communicating vision. And where vision is concerned, you have to communicate five critical things: What the vision is – and why. That the benefits are large, and the risk of failure is shared. That leadership is seriously committed and engaged in achieving the vision. That a plan is in place. That no …
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Many managers think they’re doing the right thing by building controls, metrics, checkpoints, and redundancies. In their view, rules are needed to control human behavior and reduce risk. But let’s take a lesson from ant colonies. One rule of ants is that everyone but the queen is a multi-tasker. A second rule is: “Do what …
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How much confidence should I project to be an effective leader? This is a question I often get when coaching CEOs and other leaders. To help people get a handle on this question, I cite a study in which leaders were asked to rate how many of their decisions each day were correct. They were …
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In an interview in the New York Times, Simon Anderson talks about the way he’s used a democratic approach to help build the corporate culture at DreamHost. (link to the article) “What I always say is: ‘I don’t have an open-door policy. I have an open-mind policy. An open door suggests that you’re coming to …
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I often see managers and leaders falling into the trap of calling a group of people a “team,” thinking that they’re improving morale by inspiring people to think like a team. What this leads to is the following kinds of arguments: “We need to meet as a team! We need to talk as a team! …
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A recent article in the Harvard Business Review discussed what CEOs most want from a leadership coach. (Link to the article: Research: What CEOs Really Want from Coaching.) Two interesting facts stood out. First, nearly two-thirds of CEOs do not receive coaching or leadership advice from outside coaches. Second, CEOs most want to develop their …
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