Engagement is job one for any manager
Read moreAs we saw in the closing paragraph from last time, Captain Abrashoff’s engagement of his ship’s crew led to truly superior combat-readiness ratings. In the end, the Benfold would become regarded as the finest ship in the Pacific Fleet, winning the Navy’s prestigious Spokane Trophy for having the highest degree of combat readiness. In addition, the rate of military promotions tripled on the Benfold during Abrashoff’s watch. Personnel turnover,
Relationships with individuals are the key to leading groups
Read moreAfter last week’s post, I received a number of requests—from both readers and clients—asking my advice about how managers should go about cultivating deep relationships with their individual team members. As such, I began thinking that it would be a good idea to discuss some other examples in the coming weeks, illustrations of how leaders and managers in a variety of fields—the arts,
How to build cultures of engagement
Read moreReturning to a theme from our last post, the most effective leaders engage others in a group culture by creating a space where people want to come, to participate, to express themselves, to contribute their energy and passion, and to feel part of something meaningful. Stories of people who are able to create these types of cultures within large organizations have special appeal for me, no matter
The greatest responsibility of managers
Read moreIn the last entry, I focused in part on what I see as the responsibility of every leader, at any level of an organization. To me, we all have a responsibility to create a space where people willingly participate and express themselves, where they contribute their talent, energy and passion. Unfortunately, my experience has shown that managers who truly take this undertaking seriously
An artistic view from the twenties on management
Read moreThere is a delightful scene in Woody Allen’s movie Midnight in Paris, where the legendary Gertrude Stein—played by actress Kathy Bates—lays out her philosophy of life, art and literature. “We all fear death and question our place in the universe,” she explains. “The artist’s job is not to succumb to despair but to find an antidote to the emptiness of existence.” Miss Stein, as her followers called
Why efforts to change a culture may fail
Read moreIn the previous post, I wrote that the biggest reason that organizational culture initiatives fall flat is our failure to make them a central element of the corporate agenda. Building or changing cultures is a long-term effort, more a marathon than a quick sprint. As such, the most important thing we can do is simply stay on the path and maintain