Can you hear the clock ticking? By the time you finish reading this sentence, a baby boomer business owner will have turned 65. By the time you finish reading this column, five more will have reached the traditional age of retirement. Those business owners probably have big dreams for retirement, such as moving to a [...]
Leadership is lifting a person's vision to higher sights, the raising of a person's performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations. ~ Peter F. Drucker When a team outgrows individual performance and learns team confidence, excellence becomes a reality. ~ Joe Paterno Last month I took aim at [...]
The mess our politicians are making of our economy through their inability to lead together is a great reminder for business leaders. "Leader" is more than a title, it is a massive responsibility to those who you expect to follow you. Good leaders are "servant leaders." Great leaders... Have a clear and actionable vision Communicate [...]
I am frequently impressed with the fuzzy thinking present in many companies. The lack of clarity as to what they are trying to accomplish in their business is usually reflected in fuzzy strategic goals, lack of alignment between senior management and fuzzy, imprecise execution. Unless leaders are clear (think measurable) about what they are trying to [...]
Having recently been with a company that is doing a major plant expansion, I have been thinking about one of the differentiators between market leaders and market laggards. I am wondering if the leaders, in addition to the slow and steady incremental changes necessary of any long-lived company, also focus on doing big things and [...]
There are no easy exits. There is no reason to think that, after building a successful business with that never-say-die attitude, you can effortlessly detach yourself through a sale or transfer. If you were learning a new skill or sport it would be prudent to take a few lessons. Exit Planning is no different. Have [...]
“What do we have to do today to be ready for an uncertain tomorrow?” Peter Drucker. What’s up with strategic thinking? How important do you think strategic thinking is to the success of your organization? If your answer is that it is one of the most important skills for you, your leadership team and all [...]
Wow, I ran across this question--I am not sure where it came from but I thought it poses the question very nicely. If you believe, as I do, that people are the only real assets of any organization-their drive, focus, commitment and creativity, then it begs the question, what is your organization doing to keep [...]
A study by the Aberdeen group reported some fascinating findings that should lead proactive business leaders to look more deeply at the satisfaction and engagement levels of their employees. The top 20% of the companies in the study improved emoployee satisfaction by 22% and employee performance by 21%. The median companies improved satisfaction by 1.5% [...]
Earlier we had talked about how businesses can benefit from cultivating their own leaders. There is no doubt that much can be said for molding managers from your existing employee pool. Many companies do want to promote from within, fully understanding the benefits of internal growth opportunities, but not all businesses understand how to develop [...]