Category: Leadership

The Invisible Hand of Leadership

Leadership

“Setting oneself on a predetermined course in unknown waters is the perfect way to sail straight into an iceberg.” Henry Mintzberg

Adam Smith, often cited as the father of modern capitalism, introduced the idea of an economic “invisible hand” that helps demand and supply in a free market to reach equilibrium.  Smith argued that market forces naturally do the necessary work to keep economies in balance.  One of the great debates among economists is how much economic intervention is healthy and necessary.  At what point do government policies bolster and at what point…

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Is It Wrong to Want Better Leaders

Leadership

I found myself getting more depressed as I visited with family members at a recent gathering.  Conversations around the question, “so how is your work going?” followed a similar pattern. An initial expression that said, “that is the last thing I want to talk about” followed by a grudging indirect comment that things could be better, leading to a tidal wave of complaints. The conversations also had one other thing in common.  The complaints didn’t relate to the type of work performed but all related to the work environment with the primary culprit being the manager. Perhaps I am biased since…

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