There are few business leaders who truly deserve the title of “innovator” more than Mickey Drexler. Drexler was considered a man ahead of his time when he was CEO of Gap Inc. back in the 1990s. He also spent time on the board of Apple and was considered a mentor to the mercurial Steve Jobs. […]
In my book, The Leadership Contract, I position that there is no easy path to being a truly accountable leader. Almost everything a leader is asked to do involves considerable hard work: delivering consistent financial results, attaining high team performance, executing strategy, leading change and driving innovation. All these tasks place enormous demands and pressures
Do You Relish The Pressures You Face In Your Leadership Role? Read More »
Few of us become leaders thinking we’re going to fail. But at one point or another, everyone in a leadership role will suffer a setback. It’s how we react to those setbacks that define who we are as people and as leaders. In these challenging times, we are certainly gaining insight into the mettle and
“Accountability is as important as the concept of leadership. Those who are granted power must be held accountable.” These observations came from John W. Gardner – former Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare under President Lyndon Johnson – in his book, Excellence, published in 1961. These words are as relevant today as they were over
Are You Living Up To The Terms Of Your Leadership Contract? Read More »
This week, a long-time colleague of mine Dr. Ralph Shedletsky decided to leave LHH Knightsbridge. I first met Ralph in 2001 when I joined his firm as a senior consultant. At the time, I really didn’t know him that well; our specialties were in different practice areas. But, I did observe him from afar. I
Do You Help The People You Lead Become Extraordinary? Read More »
Last year, I spoke at a conference in California. Also on the agenda was Jeffrey Pfeffer, a professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, who was sharing some of his provocative ideas from his book Leadership BS: Fixing Workplaces and Careers One Truth at a Time. Being a big fan of his work, I
At the end of the day, innovation is the life blood of a company. But if you’re a senior executive, how do you cultivate true innovation? In my interactions with executives, this desire is often expressed in the following ways: And yet, when you talk to leaders and employees at the front lines of the
Do You Really Know How To Create A Culture Of Innovation? Read More »
This week, my colleagues and I launched another Leadership Contract™ initiative with a European client that is one of the world’s leading suppliers to the industrial and automotive sectors. The company is more than 100 years old. The Managing Director of Italian Operations began our session by talking to his top thirty leaders. He had
Can You Lead Your Company Through A Critical Inflection Point? Read More »
In my travels around the world, I have frequently seen a troubling dynamic among aspiring leaders, those who demand to get something before they give their all to a leadership role. To explain, let me give you two different scenarios. Carl has long dreamed of taking on a senior leadership role in his company. However,
It was big-time news earlier this month when Jeff Jones quit his post as president of ride-sharing app Uber. And not just because it was the latest story to emerge from a company besieged by a wrath of negative news. Over the past month, Uber has seen no less than seven prominent executives leave as
Are You Clear On The Triggers That Would Force You To Leave Your Leadership Role? Read More »