I Have a Superstar, Now How Do I Win?
Leadership
Sports fans often believe they are just one superstar away from fielding a championship team. The same can be true for business executives. Some studies show that the “superstar” software engineer is 10 times more productive than the average one. And it is not uncommon for salespeople to deliver 2-3 times the results of their colleagues. It seems logical to recruit as many highfliers to your organization as possible.
However, some studies have discovered that too much talent can negatively affect performance. A Columbia University study made an important distinction from studying the impact…
Read more.Should I Go or Should I Stay?
Leadership
Several years ago, I was asked to speak at a medium size IT company’s 10th anniversary celebration. When I met with the company owners to discuss objectives and possible messaging, they shared frankly their biggest desire was to convince their employees not to leave the company just to make a little bit more money with other IT companies. While that sounded like encouraging people to work harder for less money, they wanted me to help reinforce the message that the company owners cared about the staff and believed they could best reach their potential by staying. Most…
Read more.The Challenge We All Face as Geniuses
Leadership
Nobody writes a better business fable than Patrick Lencioni. For over 20 years he has used his gift as a storyteller to share compelling insights on team and organizational dynamics. Whether you need insights into team building, effective meetings, or consulting, he provides practical approaches. His most recent book, The 6 types of Working Genius, continues his contribution to better understand what drives job performance and satisfaction.
The fable Lencioni uses to illustrate his model is based on his own experience which enhances the authenticity of his message. He shares the increasing frustration in…
Read more.Is Everyone Being Heard?
Organizational Transformation
Most organizations would like to be an innovation factory constantly producing new products and a steady stream of process improvements. Most experts agree companies must produce the right culture as well as the right structure to make that a reality. Established companies often struggle when the desire for new and improved meets the need for stability and scaling their current operational approaches. While innovation is often presented as motivating and exciting, the high risk of failure and the resulting criticisms often prove to be a larger influence on behavior, especially in larger organizations.
Michael…
Read more.How Much Should You Pay to Learn?
Strategy
In 1942, the British military leaders faced a very difficult choice. The war was going badly, their allies U.S. and Russia were pushing to do something bold, and British leadership didn’t see any good options. The Americans wanted to move quickly to invade France even though their troops were not battle tested. The Russians were getting hammered by the Germans and wanted Britain and the U.S. to start a second front in Europe to relieve the pressure.
The British had developed plans for a smaller invasion (Operation Jubilee) but all their military planners felt the most…
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