Category Archives: Innovation

Onboarding Guidelines for Industry 4.0

Summary This study examines how Industry 4.0’s  new technologies and radical, frequent change will accelerate the need to reform technical education to address new requirements. All participants were assessed for skill competency, behavior style, and motivators and stratified into three groups: Emerging Leaders, Engineers, and and Skilled Trade. Mindful that most of the participants were […]

Getting Action From Your Team: COLLABORATION

Managers’ big concern is attracting and retaining employees. A collaborative culture is prerequisite to engaging and retaining employees. There are three keys to collaboration

What Would Cause You to Change?

What would you have to do to really change in 2017? We’re all filled with wishful thinking. But, what would it take to change attitude and those habitual behaviors? Amy Morin, in her book, “13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do,” suggests that repeating mistakes is one of those behaviors mentally strong people don’t do. […]

Dangerous Circumstances

I enjoy speaking with teenagers about their ideas of career and success. In this sluggish economy where it is difficult for young people to find work, I often hear teenagers complain that success is a product of circumstance or luck. These young people perceive acceptance to a top school or an exciting job requires a […]

The 3 A’s of Sustainability

The topic of sustainability has been a source of stress since the beginning of humanity. Around 600 B.C, Aesop wrote the fable of The Grasshopper and The Ant. The Grasshopper was the opportunist who lived for the day and enjoyed the summer sun while the Ant industriously stored food for the winter. The Greeks understood […]

In Pursuit of a Follower

Some of the most vexing management challenges I’ve faced involve leading enduring cultural change. Anyone who has attempted to change a complacent, hostile, or defeated culture will understand the difficulty of this endeavor. I was recently treated to a viewing of Derek Sivers’ video, First Follower: Leadership Lessons from a Dancing Guy. The video illustrates […]

Just a Little Inspiration Goes a Long Way

When you think of premier brands, like Apple, Mercedes Benz, and others, there is something distinctive about their products, service, or social responsibility that inspires us. Apple has turned heads with astonishing product innovation that changed our lives. Long before computers and robots built cars, Mercedes was known for delivering products with every part engineered […]

Dream Day

So much of the news this week has celebrated the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous Dream Speech in Washington D.C. I consider it to be the greatest speech I’ve heard during my lifetime and am torn over whether Dr. King or Abraham Lincoln is most inspiring leader this country has ever seen. The power […]

Audacious Sustainability

I always urge my clients to factor sustainability considerations into their vision and strategic planning. While reading in the July 8th issue of Time, I was delighted to see an article titled, “Farming the Desert” by Aryn Baker (http://www.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,2146442-3,00.html if you subscribe). The article recounts how Qatar, the richest nation in the world, had difficulty finding […]

What if your Employees Were Volunteers?

I recently assumed a leadership position in a faith-based organization that is rebuilding after a terrible splintering of the congregation. I have volunteered over the years at numerous non-profits and have observed that they are more volatile than for-profit organizations because of the large volunteer population. People are more inclined to express themselves when they […]