Leaders are paid to make the important decisions. They need to ensure that the organization’s decision making process is fact-based and inclusive otherwise it just becomes a battle of opinions. and , when it comes to opinions, the person with the most power typically wins.
Without a plan your business is a like a tumbleweed blowing in the wind. You don’t know where it will end up and the course it takes to get there is subject to the whims of other forces. Unfocused effort only ever leads to frustration, miscommunication, wasted effort, poor financial decision making, unnecessary stress and less than optimal results.
In our society that rewards constant action, it is often hard to step back and reflect about where you have been, what you have learned, and where you should be going. However, leadership requires thinking and reflection as much as it is supposed to stimulate action. Many people I know are busy at doing the wrong things. They are working hard but not smart. Every day is just one more attempt to push the boulder up the hill and hope that at some point positive sustained momentum will push them over the top. Unfortunately as the slope of their climb increases the weight of their responsibilities also increases and the path they are treading becomes less predictable and stable. You can’t push forward into unchartered territory and not expect to learn some tough lessons along the way. If you are not careful, you may slip or fall and the boulder will roll right back over you.
The leader of an organization always sets the tone. Never forget this fact. I am often slightly bemused when I hear a leader complain about the state of things in their organization. It’s almost as if they remove themselves from the equation. They wonder how things have devolved to this point as if it is some deep mystery when all they have to do is look in the mirror. Your people are a reflection of your hiring decisions; the quality of your meetings is directly related to how you lead them and model this behavior for others; missing deadlines is a reflection of what you are willing to tolerate in others and yourself; a lack of focus almost always starts at the top; teamwork only ever happens when the coach sets the expectations and creates the conditions for this to happen; optimistic or pessimistic cultures are usually a reflection of leader’s point of view; etc.
Plutarch (translated by Jeffrey Beneker)
Bryn Mawr Classical Review - Book ReviewView the BookThe ancient biographer and essayist Plutarch thought deeply about the leadership qualities of the eminent Greeks and Romans he profiled in his famous―and massive―Lives, including politicians and generals such as Pericles, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Mark Antony. Luckily for us, Plutarch distilled what he learned about wise leadership in a handful of essays, […]
Read moreDr. Nabil Fanous
Book Summary and TrailerView the BookDeveloped by Dr Nabil Fanous—a surgeon, university professor and sought-after speaker—The Universal Rules of Life offers valuable insights into effective time management, personal fulfillment, and the path to professional success. Discover the easy and smart answers to the following questions that have intrigued you for years: What’s the one sentence that will get you what you want 50% of the time? […]
Read moreBoaz Rauchwerger
Vistage Interview with AuthorView the BookBook by legendary Vistage speaker Boaz Rauchwerger in which he provide a roadmap on how to change your life for the better through positive thinking and daily habits.
Read moreWhen an executive makes a big bet, he or she typically relies on the judgment of a team that has put together a proposal for a strategic course of action. After all, the team will have delved into the pros and cons much more deeply than the executive has time to do. The problem is, […]
Read moreWhen you’re part of a company’s management structure, there will be moments when you’ll have to represent a decision your bosses made that you don’t agree with to your team. Carrying the proverbial flag on behalf of the powers-that-be won’t feel good, but that’s part of the job. Barring a decision or action that is […]
Read moreChief executives are responsible for guiding corporations, so the role inevitably requires making many decisions. But people overestimate the level of personal involvement CEOs have in this process. Instead of making decisions, CEOs tend to shape decisions, by designing the process, choosing when to participate directly, and monitoring the work — a selective process that […]
Read moreNoah Berk, Co-President of obo – https://theobogroup.com, shares his thoughts on leadership and business.
Website focused on saving, growing, and spending your money and protecting the things you love. Offers free, expert-driven advice and tools that help you make the best personal finance decisions.
View moreRisk management is a process in which risks are identified and controlled proactively. It allows businesses to improve their chances of success by minimizing threats and maximizing opportunities. Risk management is essential to a business as it helps prevent financial losses and increase revenue. Other benefits of risk management include, Help to identify projects that […]
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View moreSummary of best-selling book by Ray Dalio, Founder and Former CEO of Bridgewater Associates
Video by Pete Scott describing the success habits he’s observed working with CEOs.
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 keep plugging away, learning from their mistakes, continuing to believe in themselves, and taking calculated risks anyway. Their worldview is usually […]
Read moreYour Life: I have always thought that the whole concept of work life balance is a bit of an illusion. It is difficult for me to imagine someone who has a life that is always completely in balance. Things don’t always work out this way. It’s like the idea of a fifty-fifty partnership or […]
Read more“Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to high sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations.” —Peter Drucker Part Three: It Takes Vision If you ask the average employee of the typical company why the company exists, what sets it […]
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