Lessons from Gandhi
Read moreIn my class sessions and conversations with leaders, I often use the story of Gandhi’s experience in South Africa, as it illustrates several of the important lessons I like to highlight. The first lesson is one of courage. In Gandhi’s reflection about the decision in front of him, he says “I asked my self, what I should do?” Of particular
From ordinary life events to extraordinary leadership – Gandhi’s defining moment
Read moreWhen I think of having the courage to take a stand, of daring to speak out about the things that matter, or of finding one’s leadership voice, I am reminded that these concepts apply to all kinds of situations, large or small. Whether transforming a small workgroup or inspiring an entire nation, the leadership decision begins with daring to take
A question and a quote
Read moreOne of my favorite questions for students, managers, or team members is “Why don’t we dare to make our stands, to express ourselves, and to try to master our context more often?” In this question, the key word is ‘dare’. Most often, we simply do not dare to speak our mind, to take stands for what we believe. Students and
Leadership for middle managers
Read moreSome of my favorite issues in leadership involve leadership without authority (or power). When I work with teams in organizations, or when I talk with my executive MBA students, I am often confronted by the frustrations of middle managers. The classic problem is that they feel ‘stuck’ in the middle of their companies. They are not at the top of
Leadership begins where you are, today
Read moreSo, how exactly does this discussion about ‘leadership at all levels’ apply to us? As we have discussed before, we have opportunities to lead, to take a stand on some issue important to us, virtually every day. Unfortunately, in these everyday life situations, we often make the decision not to lead. Imagine a simple work situation. You are part of
Everyone has leadership potential
Read moreLast time I was discussing some of the leadership lessons of Medicines for Humanity. Another of these lessons is that, if leadership is a decision that is open and accessible to everyone, leadership should happen at every level of an organization. Everybody in a group can make the decision to have a positive influence. We can do this in two