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Everything I need to know about management, I learned from my mother. No, she wasn’t the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. In fact, she didn’t work outside the home for more than 30 years while she raised me and my three siblings. Yet every management lesson I’ve learned in my 25 years in business, […]
If you’re anything like me, you’re sick of hearing about the whole Jerry Sandusky/Penn State sex abuse case. Sick of it, first and foremost, because the thought of what Sandusky allegedly did to those young boys, and the evidence appears overwhelming, is enough to make you physically ill. And sick of it because the 24-hour […]
My column last week was about traits many athletes possess that I believe can make them good employees — competitiveness, teamwork, dedication, and resilience. Some helpful questions and suggestions from readers led me to think I should probably clarify the thought that I was trying to convey. If you recall, last week I mentioned that […]
Once a colleague told me that he thought hiring former athletes was a risky proposition. His take was that while they were often charismatic, on average they just weren’t as smart as most. I politely reminded him that I considered myself a former athlete (with the emphasis on “former”), to which he had to think […]
Recently, at a company luncheon, I was asked about my favorite movie. Ask about the business and I’m quick with an answer. But the question about my favorite movie was nearly a stumper. I scrambled to come up with something and ultimately came up with a reply, but really wasn’t satisfied with my response. Well, […]
This week, Dan Oswald reviews the book Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us and shares the questions the book made him ask about management style and the insights into the necessity of trusting employees to consider a new way of managing employees. Read Dan’s review
Much has been written about Apple founder Steve Jobs since he died last week. The adjectives describing him have been numerous. This Silicon Valley icon has been described as an innovator, a visionary, inspirational, and the best entrepreneur ever. But Mr. Jobs’ death has also raised questions about the future of the company he cofounded […]
In Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, the author details how President Abraham Lincoln assembled a cabinet that included three men he bested for the Republican party’s presidential nomination and how Lincoln used their respective talents to win the Civil War and, ultimately, preserve the Union. It’s unusual […]
The other day, a colleague told me about one of his first tests as a new executive. He had recently been promoted when one of his direct reports — who had been a peer — recommended to him that an employee be put on a performance plan. When the newly promoted executive explored the situation […]
The other day a colleague passed along an article on leadership written by Michael Hyatt. The piece was titled, “The Five Characteristics of Weak Leaders” and focused on the leadership of General George B. McClellan, the first general-in-chief of the Union Army. It detailed the weaknesses McClellan exhibited as a leader and how they ultimately […]