Building a leadership team that carries more of the load, and leading the people who lead others.
The judge had instructed us to reach a verdict before we left for the day, and after several hours of deliberation, we were no closer to a resolution. Passionate voices rose on both sides, but each built a narrative from their own stories about what might have happened. In the courtroom, neither side proved its case, so…
I’ve been subjected to a lot of team-building exercises. Trust falls, Lego building contests, finding your “color” and learning what it tells everyone about your personality, even a drum circle, and a croquet tournament. Some of these were “fun,” I learned from others, but I’m not sure any had as much impact as the time…
My last message, “The Displaced CEO,” elicited a strong reaction. Many of you replied to that email, telling me how attracted you are to the tactical, short-term priorities and how difficult it is to stay in the Architect’s seat. One CEO was even more pointed. She said, “I want to sit in the heavy silence of…
In most organizations, attention aligns in layers. Frontline staff solve today’s problems. Managers handle the month. Directors own the year. But there is only one role in the company designed to look over the horizon. To identify where the market is going and how we will win there. That is the role of the Architect….
When I was a young leader, our company followed a rhythm you could set your watch by. We would hold a strategic planning meeting in the spring to review our core purpose and values, progress on our BHAG, and update the five-year plan. Over the summer, we turned that plan into a budget that we’d…
You’ve reached a new level. Maybe you just landed the COO role, took over the family business, or finally pushed your own venture past the survival stage. You put in the late nights, mastered the details, and proved you could deliver. You have the title, the team, and the reputation. By all accounts, you’ve arrived….
I was in a meeting recently with a nonprofit I’m committed to, talking through a challenging problem with people I care deeply about. I offered a suggestion, and the comment that came back felt like a physical blow. It wasn’t an attack, at least not an obvious one, but in that instant, I felt completely…
I was sitting in on a client’s team meeting the other day, and something interesting happened. It was a very efficient group, laser-focused on getting through the agenda so they could “do” things. The conversation moved fast as they reviewed the key initiatives for the quarter, when, with 5 minutes left in the hour, someone…
When you have a diverse team of people with different skills and abilities who are all accomplished in their chosen fields, they will likely see the world differently. (This is a feature, not a bug!) Imagine asking your sales leader, head of production, and controller to review your company’s financial statements. Will they agree on…
I was recently a guest on Kimberly Seldon’s “Business of Design” podcast, and she hit me with a zinger right off the top. What one thing are people doing that is really ruining their chances of succession? Immediately, I said, “ Staying involved in the client’s work.” The more time you spend on client work, the…