Nothing of consequence is ever accomplished without some form of leadership. Leaders are the change agents of society. They architect the future by challenging the status quo and striving to make things better. They lean into big problems and seize large opportunities. They create opportunities for others to find meaning through doing good work. I have been fortunate to work closely with hundreds of leaders through the years and this category is inspired by this experience.
Introduction – Don’t Get Stuck in the Short-Term I’m increasingly concerned that more business leaders have slipped into short-term thinking. After years of volatility and nonstop disruption, many seem almost shell-shocked. Instead of…
Introduction: The Last Tudor Standing Few leaders in history have carried the weight of expectation—and the sting of doubt—quite like Queen Elizabeth I. Born into chaos, dismissed as illegitimate, imprisoned by her own…
Here is the next installment of my fictional interviews with important historical figures. This time it is Confucius. “When we see men of worth, we should think of equaling them; when we see…
Build The Organizational Structure That Fits Your Strengths “There is no one perfect org chart—only the one that helps you win.” This blog was triggered by a Vistage group meeting today. We were…
Pat Murray’s legacy, and why he still matters Pat Murray left behind a profound legacy. He served as a President of TEC (Now Vistage) before I became a Chair and, for decades, was…
High performance is achievable You don’t need jargon to run a tighter, faster shop. You need a simple way to set priorities, make decisions quickly, and keep work moving without drama. I think…
Introduction – Interview with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Here is another in my series of fictional interviews with historical figures. This time, it is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) It feels fitting…
Are You a Steak Knife or a Butter Knife Leader? A few weeks ago, I watched a business leader wrestle with a decision he already knew he needed to make. Every week, he’d…
Introduction: The Need for Continuous Learning “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” — John F. Kennedy Every great leader I’ve ever met has one thing in common—they love to learn. It’s…
My fictitious leadership interview with Ashoka the Great: Background He is one of the most fascinating figures from ancient India’s past. His empire encompassed a vast portion of the Indian subcontinent, and he…
Introduction—Be the Best Part of Their Day Communication matters. Every leader leaves a footprint after every interaction. The only real question is: did you lift people up—or wear them down? In Be the Best…
Language and the Pursuit of Leadership Excellence How Extraordinary Leaders Build Relationships, Shape Culture and Drive Breakthrough Results(2nd Edition) Leadership Isn’t Just About Action—It’s About the Words That Shape It We’ve all seen…
Facing the Hard Truth About Leadership: A Closer Look at Bad Leadership Most leadership books aim to inspire. They showcase heroic figures, bold visionaries, and transformational change agents. But what if we flipped…
Layered Leadership by Lawrence R. Armstrong Book Excerpts INTRODUCTION Leadership, whether of a startup; Small, mid-sized, or large firm; team; church; or any organization, must work as a whole across the continuum…
There is nothing more important than understanding how reality works and how to deal with it. The state of mind you bring to the process makes all the difference. I have found it…
Myth and legend treat leadership as if it were the private reserve of a very few charismatic men and women. Nothing is further from the truth. Leadership is much more broadly distributed in…
Managing a business, or any organization, I came to see, was more practical art than applied science. Yes, there were some useful disciplines, as in any art form, but what worked best could…
Very few of us have a life curve that is only upward-sloping. The difference is that “lucky” people just do not let their periods of adversity define them in unhelpful ways. They just…
You do not have to settle for a life of quiet desperation and hope that one day things will change. The future is now, and the sooner you start living the life you…
I believe that business and nonprofit leaders need to think differently about what constitutes success. Besides the quality of their people, what differentiates most high-performing companies is their vision, focus, and discipline. Culturally,…
The leadership journey requires you to cogitate constantly on the role you and others should be playing. As you achieve some level of success, your business may challenge your capabilities to lead it.…
Surrounding yourself with great people. Learning to delegate early on - not trying to do everything yourself. Making sure you've got the kind of people who are praising the team around them, not…
Please click on this link for the Leadership – Essential Writings By Our Greatest Thinkers Book Summary STUDYING THE SYSTEM “Our little systems have their day.” – Alfred Lord Tennyson In Organizational…
Please click on this link for the Leadership in War Book Summary Chapter 1: Napoleon Bonaparte “Napoleon recognized that the best way to inspire his people was through two means: imbuing people…
Chapter 1: The ONE Thing “What’s the ONE Thing you can do this week such that by doing it everything else would be easier or unnecessary?” “Where I’d had huge success, I had…
Five Stages of Decline: Hubris Born of Success Undisciplined Pursuit of More Denial of Risk and Peril Grasping for Salvation Capitulation to Irreverence or Death “The concept of hubris is defined as…
Introduction: “The shortage of (exemplary) leaders is a result of three primary factors: demographic shifts, insufficient training and experiences, and the prevailing mindsets that discourage people from learning to lead.” “Exemplary leaders strive…
Please click on this link for the Time Really is Money Book Summary Chapter 1 – Introduction: “…most business owners spend almost all of their time on less than $50 per hour…
Introduction “Productivity isn’t about working more or sweating harder.” “…productivity is about making certain choices in certain ways. The way we choose to see ourselves and frame daily decisions; the stories we tell…
Please click on this link for the How to Be a Leader Book Summary Introduction: Bystanders vs. Leaders “Bystander apathy… Simply put, the more people who can help, the fewer actually…
Introduction to the Revised Edition, 2003 “Bad economic times allow second-rate leaders to exercise power recklessly and with impunity. Good times will come again, and when they do, the leaders who survive and…
Please click on this link for The Trillion Dollar Coach Book Summary Chapter 1: The Caddie and the CEO The Trillion Dollar Coach “In our previous book, How Google Works, we argue…
Introduction Lincoln stood for all that was right, honest, and self-evident. The foundation of Abraham Lincoln‘s leadership style was an unshakable commitment to the rights of the individual. The genius of leadership lies…
Please click on this link for the Beneath the Armor Book Summary Introduction: “There are new frontiers for you to explore, markets to penetrate and a business that deserves your absolute utmost…
Skill 1: Build Safety Chapter 1 “Safety is not mere emotional weather but rather the foundation on which a strong culture is built.” P. 6 “When you ask people inside highly successful groups…
Introduction: Why communication matters on the shop floor (and in the boardroom) Most teams don’t stall out because of skill gaps; they stall because people feel unseen, uncertain, or uninspired. When communication frays,…
Central Thesis Leadership is layered, not linear. Enduring organizations align several layers—self‑leadership, team development, clear strategy, disciplined execution, market focus, innovation, culture, and succession—so each layer reinforces the others. The leader’s ongoing task…
Introduction In the pursuit of organizational excellence, aligning the hearts and minds of employees is crucial. Jon R. Katzenbach’s “Peak Performance: Aligning the Hearts and Minds of Your Employees” provides a comprehensive guide…
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