Insights That Will Make You Think and Grow

January Summary of Insights

Our focus is on serving your needs. We publish insights to make you think and grow. On the first Saturday of each month, we post a summary of the insights from the previous month. Here is our January Summary — the insights that we shared this past month to help you achieve success.

Experts do not walk around claiming to be experts. They demonstrate their expertise through the questions they ask and the knowledge they share.

Most of the people of whom we would consider being ‘creative thought leaders,’ are the first people to credit their mental inspiration to others. The collective mind is what inspires me. The work of others and our clients inspire many of our posts. My need to consume and digest the work of other creators and thinkers is vital. So, if there is a topic you would like me to write about, please contact me.

If you want to go deeper into an area, please see our insights by category.

“How can I improve?” v. “What will they think?” | Development v. Perfection
The fear of failure and our desire to be loved and admired creates pressure to appear as being perfect. “What will they think?” — is an externally-focused perfectionism question. Authentic […]Read More »
Business 4.0 — How agile leaders are redefining customer-centric
Every few weeks someone is espousing the virtues of being customer-centric as if it is a breakthrough winning strategy. Customer excellence has worked for centuries and will continue for many […]Read More »
How A Growth Mindset Becomes A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
Being a sounding board for executives, after my lengthy career as a CEO, I often hear comments that they feel they are a little bit stuck. Intuitively these leaders know […]Read More »
GenY And GenZ’s Lower Tolerance of Ambiguity Is Limiting Their Success
Technological change and globalization have fundamentally changed work. In a world of increasing ambiguity, there is greater competition and higher expectations. We are facing more situations, projects, tasks, or goals […]Read More »
Emerging Trends You Need to Know About Talent
For the past year, I have been writing about how artificial intelligence (AI) and your workforce. In our insight, AI benefits your business and employees; we advance that choosing to […]Read More »
Secrets to Excel As A Leader — Asking Questions and Seeking Help
Many people think leadership is all about having the right answers at the ready. Yet, no matter how experienced you are — understand the importance of showing humility by asking […]Read More »
Why we find it so hard to leave a job—even one we hate
Many of us experience a moment where we struggled to move forward. We may have perceived that something vital had shifted. We hang on to a role that does not […]Read More »
How Providing Clarity in Decision Roles Enhances Organizational Performance
Every success and mishap; every opportunity seized or missed is the result of a decision that someone made or did not produce. Choices routinely get stuck and affect the performance, […]Read More »
How to Create High-Performance Decision-Making Teams
Teams have the potential to outperform individuals. High-performance decision-making teams do better because they have the right people working on a task. Team members have diverse skills and perspectives that […]Read More »
The Board Sets the Direction — Moreover It Sets the Tone
In this insight about board dynamics, I offer lessons from 25+ years as a CEO and my broad experience as a board member. An organization’s chief executive officer is the […]Read More »
Parents — Tips You Need to Know to Boost Your High Schooler’s Career Success
As you read the article, please consider what advice you give to your younger self, coming out of high school as you embarked on your career journey. It’s a belief: […]Read More »
Goal Alignment Program (GAP™) and the Theory of Constraints (TOC)
As highlighted in Viable Vision, using the Theory of Constraints (TOC) most companies today do not seem to have the right roadmap to their vision, which means their vision is not […]Read More »
Process Praise May Be The Key to Correcting to Gender Balance in STEM
The workplace is changing. So are the skills that employers need. Beyond the traditional career paths requiring a background in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), employers are seeking the […]Read More »
Powerful Career Advice for Your High School Student
It is decision time. Your daughter or son is entering their final year of high school. They are at the age when they should be preparing for what’s next. However, […]Read More »
Just Promoted to Manager? — Here’s Some Secrets to Your Success
Congratulations, you have done it — your first job as a manager. After years of arduous work, you have been promoted to manage a team of people. You are in […]Read More »
The Secret of Exceptional Leaders — Leadership, is About Influence Not Authority
Exceptional leaders have a genuine willingness and a true commitment to lead others to achieve a common vision and goals through positive influence. No leader can ever achieve anything great or […]Read More »
Promising Practices in Governance
Promising practices for Boards that will benefit every organization: Nose in, hands off Build a robust and qualified board of directors and evaluate the performance Define roles and responsibilities Emphasize […]Read More »
Visionaries See Trends — Innovation Makes It Real
Invention isn’t ruled by public opinion. While there is no such thing as a crystal ball, many big bets were executed because someone boldly envisioned a different future — one […]Read More »
Engineers Have The Power Skills to Become Great Executives
What is the most common college major of fortune 500 CEOs? It is no big surprise to me that engineering is the most common one. 33% of the S&P 500 CEOs' undergraduate […]Read More »
Fulfillment and Engagement—Challenging Work Needing Your Superpowers
Trouble focusing could mean that your work is not complicated enough and that there is not enough of it. When you take on challenges that align with your abilities and […]Read More »
6 Key Personality Traits for Effective CEOs
It is no secret that business acumen in all its guises is an essential attribute for successful CEOs. However, there are also several key personality traits that separate effective CEOs […]Read More »
Forget Resolutions — Do a Past Year Review Instead
The things we desperately long for today are universal and timeless. However, they are elusive and difficult to sustain in this tech-frenzied, time-crushing world. To get the things we want […]Read More »
How Positive Psychology Makes You A Better Boss
The workplace is vastly different today from what it was in the 1970s. Globalization supplies a rich, complex, and diverse working environment. Success in this environment needs teamwork and effective […]Read More »
The Secret to Career Success — Use Your Superpowers
Have you ever wondered why two people with the same credentials, similar experience have significantly different career trajectories? Interestingly, it comes down to their superpowers. High performers have mastered the […]Read More »
Warning signs that it is time to change your career plans
Often career plans do not work out. You need to be able to recognize the warning signs and know when you need to pivot and follow a new one. Managing […]Read More »
One-A-Day Behaviours To Make You Unstoppable in 2019
Many people are good at what they do. Some are even elite. A select few are entirely unstoppable. Have you ever wondered why two people with the same credentials, similar […]Read More »