My wife and son and I were on our way back from the airport and were approaching the 7-mile long San Mateo Bridge. It usually moves at an easy 60 MPH clip, but we could see it was a tenth of that speed and slowing often to a stop. We were fit to be tied! … Continued
Friends, If nobody’s ever embarrassed you in public – even before a public of one — skip this column. But if not, I offer some serious counsel on power and authority (related to but not the same thing as leadership; see footnotes)*. I debated in high school and college, and I will never forget one time … Continued
Friends, I love teaching at a great public university — the Michigan of the West, because my daughters went to a great public university, the Berkeley of the East. My undergraduate students seem so familiar, like my kids’ friends who’d chat with us across the kitchen counter, rummage through the fridge at 1:00 AM, and … Continued
Friends, I asked the fascinating speaker: “But are all CEOs good? What about bad cultures and weak companies?” Adam Bryant, author of The Corner Office: Indispensable and Unexpected Lessons from CEOs on How to Lead and Succeed, responded that he had done plenty of pieces for the New York Times on the usual topics – CEO … Continued
Friends, Are you in? All in? The authorized leader— with a title like “boss,” CEO, dad, teacher, principal — better be all in. They had better: pick up littered paper, say hello to visitors as though they own the place, contribute generously to the non-profit they run, buy stock in the company they manage, … Continued
Friends, I have been in positions for 29 of the last 31 years (exceptions: first year of law school and first year as a lawyer) when people supposedly had to pay attention to me. I’ve run teams, coached clients, taught students and most important raised three kids. So, they looked to me. I’ve made lots … Continued
Friends, “What’s required appears to continually interfere with us getting what we want!” In an average day, I have a whole lotta wants: I want to be on time, and I am “required” to be in a traffic jam. I want my son to realize something obviously important – e.g., perspiration trumps inspiration – but … Continued
Friends, Let’s start quickly with TV, then to school, and on to work. Tell me why these were GREAT shows? M.A.S.H., All in the Family, Happy Days, Mary Tyler Moore. If I’m dating myself terribly, throw in The Office, How I Met Your Mother, and Modern Family. Why so good? What do they have in … Continued
Friends, Here’s my favorite line from my favorite book on leadership: “Credible leaders accept and act upon the paradox of power: We become most powerful when we give our power away.” – Kouzes and Posner, The Leadership Challenge. Some never get this. They are threatened by staff. Their ego needs to be in control. They fear … Continued
Friends, The Greeks were famous for their mythology and for their sense of drama (humor, irony, and tragedy). Their Olympics as well as ours shine with such myth and drama. Drama, too, character-izes our own lives. I point to one Olympic story today, because it offers a model for our everyday leadership dramas. The model … Continued