Small words matter most

Napoleon’s Grande ArmĂ©e conquered most of Europe. But the empire crumbled within months when his soldiers stopped saluting their officers. Small gestures reveal big truths about character. The Forgotten Art of Basic Respect Research from the University of...

Ego blinds everyone

The most powerful and richest people on the planet are locked in a very public struggle. But this isn’t about policy or progress. It’s about ego. Ryan Holiday nailed it in “Ego is the Enemy.” He wrote, “The ego we see most commonly goes...

Stir sleeping dogs

In business, underperforming products or segments are referred to as the dogs in the portfolio. Too often, companies merely let them lie. Yet the issue is that in time this creates a culture that will inevitably impact all other segments. If one dog is sleeping, why...

Question everything

I observed a team reflecting on their service delivery process, and it seemed incredibly uncoordinated and inefficient. “Why do you do it that way?” I asked. The answer came immediately: “That’s how we have always done it, at least since I have...

Why leaders fear what growth demands

Growth demands discomfort. Yet most leaders choose the illusion of stability over the reality of progress. The Comfort Trap That Kills Companies “The enemy of great is good.” – Jim Collins Organizations settle into patterns that once worked. They...