Speaking of Leadership^® Blog

The power of storytelling for leaders has been featured in this space in the past, but many CEOs and C-Level executives aren’t sure how to become a good storyteller. The good news is that it just takes a desire to do so, a little practice and following the tips in this recent Forbes

One of the greatest management writers, Warren Bennis, once remarked that “leaders bring clarity.”   Perhaps one of the most important ways this happens is identifying what a company stands for (values) and how it’s going to make money (strategy).  The problem is that everyone in the organization may bring their own interpretation

If you are at all familiar with the history of business you know Rockefeller’s  Standard Oil, Carnegie Steel, Ford, and JP Morgan’s banking empire changed forever the business landscape and created in large measure the world we know today.  No doubt Amazon will be included in this commercial pantheon when

The pre-eminent business writer still wielding the pen is Jim Collins.  But if you’re a better listener than a reader, and if you have a long drive or a plane flight coming up, check out this 2.5-hour audio interview with Jim Collins on the Farnam Street Website.  This is an enjoyable and

“In your life, there are going to be constant demands for your time and attention. How are you going to decide which of those demands gets resources? The trap many people fall into is to allocate their time to whoever screams loudest, and their talent to whatever offers them the

CEOs are urged to lead by example.  There are several ways to do this; perhaps the most important is for CEOs to manage themselves.  This article from Forbes offers a checklist to assess if you’re managing yourself well (and offers the example of Dallas Cowboys leadership as an example). Evaluate yourself

If you want to know what may happen tomorrow, watch what leaders invest in today. Specifically, careful consideration of the M&A market will shed light on what trends C-Level execs believe will yield the greatest opportunities in the years ahead.  “Business deals are both a lagging and a leading indicator

Many executives who have been focused on managing Millennials would do well to remember that the next generational cohort is already bearing down on them.  There are now five generations in the workplace:   The Silent (World War II) generation, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y and now  Generation Z (born

Many companies are currently engaged in year-end planning and too many plans are not much more than “how can we do more next year?” This can happen when companies are enjoying success and assume, without much reflection or analysis as to why.   As we often say at #Vistage meetings,   “the

Higher education has historically been viewed by many as a place of occupational safety characterized by tenure, solid endowments and the absence of the make or break competition that characterizes the business world.  Rarely have institutions of higher education failed.  Until now. Fifty-five high quality, private colleges have closed down and