From the category archives:

STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP

Leaders of the Future: Women?

by margaretreynolds on July 22, 2010

in STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP

There is a growing conversation that the majority of the leaders in the future will be women. It is not a gender bias, but rather an observable and documentable fact that women are emerging as the more prepared and more aligned demographic with the growth sectors of the economy.
It is not a revolution, but an [...]

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What is the difference between those who succeed and those who don’t? Attitude. The first step to success is believing you can. As Mark Emkes, recently retired CEO of Bridgestone Americas, said in a recent interview, “if you don’t think you will hit the baseball, you won’t.”
The great thing about attitude is, it is within [...]

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I am a strategic thinker and make a living helping people make strategic decisions that improve future performance. It is a very enjoyable and rewarding career. Admittedly, to most people, what I do is a mystery, hard to explain and even more difficult to do. It is all in what you are used to.
 I can’t [...]

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In a few weeks, I will be interviewing Dan Cathy, President and COO of Chick-fil-A. In their corporate communications, they talk about their “raving fans”. They have even registered the phrase. I was asking a friend of mine who is in marketing at Southwest Airlines whether they have a “raving fans” marketing plan, and [...]

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Have you met anyone who enjoys being a road warrior? George Clooney in Up in the Air aside, most people don’t really enjoy slogging from airport to airport and hotel to hotel. Air travel is unreliable with constant delays. Security is tight with restrictions that make it difficult to get basic supplies on board. And [...]

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Have you ever wondered where common sense comes into play in decision making? I once encountered an executive who believed that if he could just explain to his customers why he has to charge what he does to make a profit they would understand. In a role reversal exercise, when he was the customer, he [...]

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The Eight Deadly Sins of Leadership (part 2)

by margaretreynolds on June 17, 2010

in STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP

This is part 2 of a two-part blog. To read part 1, click here.
The number one goal is to understand the importance of leadership and spend time leading the organization, not just running it.
In my thirty years of business management experience, there is a list of leadership “sins” committed every day by well-intentioned executives. [...]

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This is part 1 of a two-part blog. To read part 2, click here.
Why do some companies succeed and others fail? Sure, part of it is the state of the economy, may be the industry they are in, could be how deep their pockets are. How much of it is leadership? Are we ready to [...]

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Banking is a dirty word in some circles. The recent economic challenges have galvanized the public’s negative sentiment toward those greedy “Wall Street bankers”. What you may not know is many banks would agree with you. The cliché, “a few bad apples spoil it for the whole bunch” applies. Most banks are trying hard to [...]

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Check your ego at the door

by margaretreynolds on May 19, 2010

in STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP

Top leaders agree, exceptional leadership has no room for ego. Since we started this blog in February we have interviewed top leaders around the country and they all concur. Leaders of great performing companies can’t do it alone. They put the spotlight on their employees.
Jim Collins introduced the concept of Level 5 leadership in his [...]

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