In this vast world and these hurried times, it’s sometime very challenging to truly put things in perspective. I sometimes attempt to do this in hopes of making better day-to-day decisions. It usually occurs soon after returning home from one of my many road trips. For instance, while in the midst of thousands of people…
I recently experienced a rather rare opportunity seldom afforded to anyone. Over the many years I’ve been in this business, I must admit that there are several leaders I have admired greatly as a result of my research on their career and/or their organizations. I recently had the privilege to chat over breakfast with one…
The old “Theory X and Theory Y” concept has been with us since 1960 when Douglas McGregor wrote his best seller The Human Side of Enterprise in which he proposed two theories by which to view employee motivation. In the spirit of our “Generational Gems,” we offer the following anecdote for your consideration. You may…
Everyone seems to enjoy and appreciate learning how well-known people from all walks of life have overcome obstacles to achieve their current level of success. Over the years, I’ve compiled a number of short anecdotes that have provided inspiration and motivation in times of need. I shared a few of these narratives in the newsletter…
I received an unusual phone call today from a free lance writer in New York City who provides articles to a number of national magazines. She had apparently visited our blog and, as a result, wanted to chat with me about an article she’s writing on the subject of workaholics, control-freaks, and those who simply…
Here’s a classic that seems to appear more and more realistic with every newspaper I read or television newscast I see. I first saw this definitive narrative on a poster hanging on the wall in the office of a CEO we were working with. You may want to read this one twice, share it with…
Some people have an uncanny knack for good timing, and Lee Iacocca certainly falls into that category. I’ve reviewed his latest best seller, Where Have All the Leaders Gone?, on our web site and shared a few excerpts from those pages here on our blog. I think his choice of a title has really seized…
As you know, we’ve been providing “classic” lessons, anecdotes, allegories, parables, and narratives from past generations in the hope of providing inspiration and encouragement to those “future leaders” in today’s business world. The more I review these “generational gems,” the more I believe we should be sharing them with our children and grandchildren as well….
As I mentioned when we started this series of generational gems, these stories have been around forever. However, considering the level of service we find in today’s marketplace—regardless of the industry—this is an analogy that should be retold again and again within many organizations. As a result, EXPECTATIONS can be given, ACCOUNTABILITY established, and CONSEQUENCES…