Rethinking the Model for Leadership Development Plans
Leadership coaching is a sought-after element of the leadership development process, but the framework that underpins it is all too often incomplete – or inconsistently applied from one engagement to another. It typically focuses on what the organization requires from …
Leadership Courage in Action: How a Simple Decision Can Have Far-Ranging Effects
Great leadership requires courage of convictions, courage to voice a dissenting opinion and the courage to ask an unpopular question. And sometimes, leaders must have the courage to step into an uncomfortable situation. It’s not always easy to summon the …
It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s…Heroism in the Workplace!
Let’s start with a story. This is a Zen parable about a woman staying in a mountainside retreat, located high above her beloved fishing village. She is staying in a beautiful house she built herself and has decorated over the …
Pitfalls of Establishing a Company Vision – What Could Go Wrong?
Words matter, of course, but actions matter a lot more. And when words and actions contradict, confuse, or distract, they call attention to a classic leadership shortcoming: the challenge of “walking the talk.” Nowhere is this more important to get …
Do Customers’ Experiences Really Matter Anymore?
This week, United Express flight 3411 from Chicago to Louisville made headlines for the mistreatment of a customer onboard. In order to accommodate airline employees who were needed on a flight from Louisville the next day, customers were “re-accommodated” and …
Values in Action
The single most time-honored piece of advice ever given to a person is probably Plato’s “Know thyself”. If we apply it to organizations it would be “Know thy values”. What is a value? A value is a belief in the …
Leadership Lessons from Vantage
Over the last week, our Vantage colleagues were asked to provide the most impactful leadership lessons that they had learned over their career, or shared most often with other leaders. The answers were insightful, enriching, and far-reaching, and hopefully will …
Work-Life Balance
Productivity has long been measured in hours spent working. As a result, employees boast about stress levels, sleep lost, and overtime in the office with a sense of pride; those that bemoan working 50 plus hours a week are stigmatized …