Category: Critical Thinking

Reading Time: < 1 minuteMost of us have participated in a planning session using SWOT analysis  (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats).  Often, participants offer suggestions that however well-intentioned, are just “top of mind” or limited to their own area of responsibility or expertise.  This is especially true for weaknesses and threats which often come from outside

Reading Time: < 1 minuteTom Peters is one of the great management writers of all time, best known for his groundbreaking, “In Search of Excellence.”  Over a long career, Peters has distilled and shared significant wisdom from observing a wide range companies. In a recent short blog posting, he summarizes nearly four decades of work in six

Reading Time: < 1 minuteWe create much of our own reality by our actions, but much of what happens to us is beyond our control. In the latter instance, how we decide to respond, can not only impact our well-being, but can often by itself create a new outcome, as this short video of a

Reading Time: < 1 minuteIf you like TED Talks, check out financier Michael Milken’s Annual conference website. Top notch thought leaders in a wide variety of fields, not just business, are featured in compelling video recordings of this year’s Milken Conference. There are dozens to choose from and you can search by topic and by

Reading Time: < 1 minuteIf pressed, most C-Level executives would admit that they never fired anyone too soon. Regardless of fault, the company, the manager and the problem employee would almost always have all been better off if the parting had happened sooner. SalesLeadership, Inc. President Colleen Stanley suggests that what makes good sales managers effective

Reading Time: < 1 minuteRisk is so pervasive in business that we often fail to ask ourselves if we really understand the fundamental nature of it, how to assess it and then manage it.  This short article by Jean Proussen of the Institute of Directors provides a valuable primer for C-Level Executives for thinking about,

Reading Time: < 1 minuteFor decades, the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) was the metric most focused upon in assessing one’s chances for success. In the 1990’s,  the Emotional Intelligence quotient (EQ) took on increasing importance as a predictor of career success. Now comes “AQ”.  A short Wired Magazine article provides a good overview of how AQ along

Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe importance of emotional intelligence has been documented for years.   However, there are some very important traits that, while required for success, don’t have a visible effect on one’s career until later in life. This short HBR blog post outlines research that identifies the three personality traits that SIGNFICANTLY affect lifetime earnings,

Reading Time: < 1 minuteMicrosoft Founder Bill Gates not only revolutionized, some say invented, the personal computer industry as we know it, he is also making a significant impact on the world through the Gates Foundation run by him and his wife Melinda. Whatever his endeavors, he has learned to rely on facts. To

Reading Time: 4 minutesI have been hanging around the leadership arena for many years, and I can’t tell you how many mistakes I have made along the way with my communications. Why is this so? I know what to do, but my mind races ahead. I recognize I have the words to say