Let them go

I was talking with a professional soccer coach last week. He told me he wanted to sign a player, then discovered a better league was interested in the player. Given who the coach is, his response did not surprise me. He let the player go. Not because he didn’t...

Earned keys

We wouldn’t hand a Ferrari to someone who just got their license last week. The thought alone makes us wince. The speed, the power, the responsibility – it’s not about gatekeeping. It’s about readiness. We want them to survive the drive. We...

Schedule snow days

Yesterday morning, watching snow fall. The world went quiet. Not the quiet where you’re waiting for something to interrupt – actual silence. It was beautiful in a way we’ve forgotten to notice. We’ve convinced ourselves that constant noise...

The meeting wasteland

Your calendar is drowning in blue blocks. Executives spend 23 hours per week in meetings. That is more than half your workweek. CEOs? 72% of their time is spent in conference rooms and on Zoom calls. Here is what is devastating: 71% of those meetings are unproductive....

Your pay reveals your truth

Your pay structure says everything about who you are. Most organizations, especially in the US service economy, have payroll as their number one expense. Yet those same leaders who agonize over every other strategic decision will cobble together compensation plans...