Moving People from Cynicism to Commitment “We’ll just lay low and under the radar for this new re-org. Soon there’ll be some other leadership initiative promising big transformation.” As a consultant, this is what I consistently heard from seasoned mid-level managers...

Take a Stand on AI Where It Matters Most “Let’s create AI that transforms business.” That’s IBM’s ad campaign introducing their new watsonx platform. We all know how powerful a tool AI is and history is rich with tools that have truly transformed not just business but...

What Must Come Before Accountability “It’s still not working,” the president I was coaching lamented. “We need to hold our people more accountable.” Accountability is a common “go-to” for leaders–and it makes sense as a path to organizational improvement. Yet it’s not...

Rethinking “Having It All” “Yes, you can have it all–money, power, family, love. All of it!” This is the beguiling promise of modern day business. As a leader, it is a belief that can quickly uplift you–or cause you major problems–depending on what “having it all”...

The Fundamental Question Most Business Leaders Never Ask I asked my client Troy, the CFO of a very large healthcare system, this simple (and totally overlooked) four-word question: Why does business exist?  Think about it. Your answer to why business (meaning the...