5 Favorite Leadership Quotes and Why
Leaders often use pithy quotes in leadership talks, staff meetings, or when framing strategic direction. The reason we are attracted to quotes is because they capture, in a succinct way, something we believe to be true and important. Below are five I have used many times. None of them are from current writers or thinkers. […]
2 Indicators You (or Someone on Your Team) Have Not “Owned It”
None of us is perfect. And the obvious implication for leaders and team members is that we are going to make mistakes, disappoint people we serve, miss deadlines, and not always execute flawlessly. A pattern of missed execution is very different from a moment of missed execution. We all have moments of misses. But a […]
Of ALL People, I Never Thought THIS Guy Would Fall…
If there were ever a person whom people believed would be above falling, above imploding, it would be David. David penned psalms, defeated a giant, defended God’s people, conquered enemies, united God’s people, and received the promise from God that his throne would last forever—which is presently happening because Jesus Christ came into our world through the lineage of David. David was so powerful that even men around him were considered mighty. When we read about David, we can easily feel dwarfed by his passion for God, his skillful leadership, and his bold moves for the Lord. He was a great man, a skillful leader, a passionate worshiper, and a brilliant artist. Yet David fell.
4 Common Leadership Traits in Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk
Just as Steve Jobs was synonymous with Apple and Jeff Bezos is synonymous with Amazon, Elon Musk has become synonymous with space travel and electric cars with his companies SpaceX and Tesla. I just finished reading Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance, and although Musk did not approve of the writing beforehand and has refuted some of […]
Anger, Atonement, and the Academy Awards
As this year’s (2018) Academy Awards began, people were still talking about the moment during last year’s Academy Awards when Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty presented the Oscar for Best Picture to the wrong cast. The moment, known as Envelopegate or the most shocking moment in Oscar history, was perhaps best captured in this photograph […]
6 Problems with Obsessing over Data
Data can be a leader’s friend as it is wise for leaders to leverage data in their decision-making. While it is foolish for leaders to ignore data, it is equally unhealthy for leaders to obsess over it. Here are six problems with obsessing over data: 1. You can find your worth in the numbers. There […]
Leaders and Data: Three Approaches
Leaders have never been able to access so much data and have never been encouraged so strongly to let the data direct them. In recent years there has been an avalanche of books, articles, and conferences on leveraging big data. Data scientists are hired to bring their expertise to companies and “machine learning” is being […]
3 Things You Are Really Saying When You Bash Your Predecessor
If leadership is primarily about change, transformation, and the future, as many have advocated, then leaders are always change-oriented. And change always entails creating some dissatisfaction with the status quo. But wisely and skillfully creating dissatisfaction with the status quo is very different than subtly or overtly trashing and bashing the leaders who led before […]
The Good and the Bad of Our Fascination with Implosions
We are fascinated with implosions, with buildings falling. People come from miles around to watch them topple, tune into live television, and watch replays in slow motion. A video of a bus blocking the implosion view of the Georgia Dome went viral in 2017. How dare a bus driver continue his daily routine and disturb […]
3 Downsides of Thinking You Are Better Than You Are
Most speakers think they are better speakers than they actually are. Most leaders think they are better leaders than reality says they are. And most professional football players, according to John Madden, think they are better than they actually are. John Madden played, coached, and commentated professional football, but he is perhaps most known for […]