Category: Leadership Skills & Strategy
For Whom Do We Stand? The Quiet Power of Other-Focused Leadership
Ask any lawyer what it means to stand up in court, and the answers are revealing. Some will say they represent the defense, navigating the tide of presumption and evidence…
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The Power And Danger Of Unintended Messages
This past Saturday morning, I stopped at a sandwich shop in Misquamicut, Rhode Island, looking forward to a simple breakfast to start the day right. But before I reached the…
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Why Tactical Leadership Is The Most Important Leadership Arena
Every other arena of leadership is theoretical elegant and practically useless. Cultural leaders inspire. Strategic leaders enable. Operational leaders empower. But it's the practically accountable tactical leaders who deploy and…
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Leverage The Confidence-Preserving Power Of Saying ‘Yes, But Not Now.’
One of the keys to time management is having the confidence to say “No.” However, that means having to say “No” to the person who asked you to get something…
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The Benefits Of Providing Structured Comments On Creative Work a la P&G
Commenting on creative work is like commenting on someone’s baby. You need to be ready for the baby’s parents to by insulted by what you think is constructive criticism. Procter…
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What To Do When Good Enough Is Not Good Enough
Sometimes good enough is, indeed, good enough. But there are sometimes when you just can’t settle or compromise. The short answer is: 1) Never compromise culturally or on brand fundamentals;…
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When To Test, Iterate, Pilot, Launch, And Roll-Out New Initiatives
Test to learn. Iterate to improve. Pilot to teach. Launch to commit. Roll-out to manage resources over time. At one level, this is pretty straightforward stuff. But people often skip…
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The Different Tools Required To Tell, Sell, Test, Consult, Co-Create
Not all tools work on all problems. Years ago, Bryan Smith laid out a tell-sell-test-consult-co-create framework. It’s useful in all sorts of different situations. Just remember to lead differently in…
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How High Concepts Can Guide Culture, Strategy, And Tactics
Cultural, strategic, and tactical leadership nest. The most effective CEOs leverage simple statements of who the organization is and what it stands for – high concepts – to guide how…
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