What business leaders can learn from PhD candidates
I went to graduate school at Montana State University (MSU) in Bozeman, Montana. Uncle Sam drafted me into the Army before I could finish my PhD program, but my heart remains a lover of the Big Sky Country. One of … Continue reading
Is the capital you need hiding in plain sight?
On a recent flight, I was sitting next to a Southwest Airlines pilot and asked him about the “things” on the end of the plane’s wings that weren’t there a few years ago. He told me that the airline was able … Continue reading
Implementing accountability: lessons from Brazil
We facilitated a strategic planning meeting in southern Brazil. While there, we had the opportunity to visit IguaçuFalls, one of the great sites on the World Heritage List. IguaçuFalls has a flow capacity equal to three times that of Niagara … Continue reading
It isn’t enough to tell people what you want
In 1979, Ted Kennedy, brother of the assassinated President John Kennedy, was asked this straightforward question during an interview with CBS Newsman Roger Mudd. “Why do you want to be President?” Kennedy couldn’t come up with a straightforward answer. He … Continue reading
First things first – the lesson of rocks, sand, and water
Author Steven R. Covey inspired today’s retelling of a time management classic. Covey’s story starts with a speaker showing a group of business students a large glass jar and a box of large rocks. The speaker pulled rocks from the … Continue reading
Why vision is key to successful implementation
….. Typical Bicycle Cab ….. My wife Mary and I were on an anniversary trip to take in a couple of new shows in New York City. One of the challenges we faced as theatergoers was finding a cab to … Continue reading
Commit, explode, recover – a winning strategy
Bill Walsh, who coached the San Francisco 49ers to three Super Bowl championships, had a simple strategy for winning. He felt that his football team needed to follow a cycle of “commit, explode, recover.” To win in football or in … Continue reading