Reimagine Your Organizational Structure to Advance Strategy and Delight Customers
Balancing everyday operational demands with strategic growth objectives is a persistent challenge for business leaders in all sizes of organizations. You might experience the pull between driving new business, delivering consistent quality, and ensuring your internal teams collaborate efficiently. Whenever you suspect that your current structure no longer supports your strategic goals—or if you spend […]
Leading During Times of Turbulence
Experiencing natural disasters and personal loss—whether by hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, fires, or health-related causes—brings profound disruption that touches every part of our lives. These moments remind us of our shared vulnerability and capacity to support one another. Such events test our resilience, decision-making, and capacity for empathy, both personally and professionally. In times like these, […]
The Power of Alignment in Teams and Organizations
From my associate, Grant Tate. Imagine this: A team of five people, each holding onto a rope tied to a big log, aiming to move it forward. But each person’s pulling in a different direction—one’s pulling left, another right, one forward, and so on. It doesn’t take long to see the problem. Despite everyone working […]
Evolving Leadership: Guiding Your Team Through Growth
Editor’s Note: Growing a business requires not only robust, scalable systems but also leadership that adapts as well. In the third article of this series, we delve into how leadership roles must evolve as the organization grows. We’ll discuss the shift from hands-on management to strategic oversight and the importance of fostering a culture that […]
Fix ‘Em or Fire ‘Em: Tough Choices in Leadership
From my associate, Grant Tate. Many leaders, especially in government and large institutions, struggle with underperforming employees who drain productivity, morale, and resources. My colleague and I experienced this last week: an organization director, overwhelmed with frustration, has multiple cases of long-term underperformance but feels constrained by bureaucracy, fear of legal retaliation, and a workplace […]
Critical Keys to Success
From my associate, Janice Giannini. Today, businesses face unprecedented shifting sands upon which to build and grow. While I would like to opine that there are a few more significant challenges, and the others are potentially less compelling and volatile – that doesn’t reflect reality. Think for just a moment about a few of these […]
Flexible Leadership vs. Wishy-Washy Leadership: Understanding the Distinction
The concept of flexible leadership is increasingly relevant in organizations. I will clarify that flexible leadership is not synonymous with wishy-washy leadership. The former represents a strategic and adaptable approach to leadership, while the latter suggests indecisiveness and lack of direction. Understanding the distinction between these concepts is crucial for leaders who navigate complex situations […]
Fix the Toaster
Do you want to fix the toaster, or do you keep scraping the burnt part off the toast? It seems like a simple question, but hear me out. In business and life, we get what we accept. If so, why would we continue to accept an unacceptable outcome rather than address the core problem? These […]
Wait! I’m a Manager, Not a Coach
From my associate Grant Tate. “Wait! I’m no coach; I’m a manager. What do you expect? Don’t you know coaching is a horrible time waster? I have enough to do already, trying to supervise twenty people. And I’ve been trying to implement your DEI policy over the last two years. Yet there’s another thing I […]
Transitioning From an Entrepreneurship to a Professionally Managed Firm Part III
Editor’s Note:This is the second installment of an ongoing series surrounding what it takes to move from a relatively small, micro-business to a more robust, larger organization. Each article explores a different aspect of that journey. In the previous issues, I discussed the initial phases of transitioning from a business in its infancy to becoming […]