Taking Care of Your Business

What You Can and Can’t Control

I spend a lot of time behind closed doors talking with people who lead organizations about their biggest challenges and opportunities. There's a common theme in the background of many of these conversations: "what's within my control, and what's not?" In this podcast we talk about both, so that we can focus our precious time and attention on the things that really matter. At the top of the list of things within our control is the stories we tell ourselves.

Self-Awareness

I recently came across research from the Harvard Business Review which reported that while 95% of people think they are self-aware, only 10 - 15% actually are. Evidently there are a whole bunch of people out there who are not aware, that they are not aware! Why does this matter? Because poor self-awareness is corrosive to performance, trust and teamwork. In this podcast you'll learn some of the most common behaviors of people who have high self-awareness, and how those behaviors can transform an organization. And you'll also learn some simple things leaders can do to cultivate self-awareness in themselves and their organizations.

Duke Ellington and Leadership

At a time when CEOs and Owners are looking for talent, and seeking to grow new leaders for their organizations, Duke Ellington offers an important leadership lesson. "The Duke" was one of the best jazz musicians there ever was. And he had a very particular way of bringing people together, nurturing their talent and being incredibly productive, composing1000 pieces of music over the span of 50 years. He had a knack for motivating people to take his music and make it their own, creating something new.

Clarity, Confidence and Creativity for Leaders

Vistage Chair, Jeff Oak, interviews internationally recognized speaker, author and leadership consultant, Dr. Bill Crawford. Dr. Bill's two PBS television specials on stress and communication have been seen by over 15 million people. In this interview he describes a practical, five step process for leaders to access a specific part of their brain, which enables them to bring to life their best selves, and help others do the same. His actionable insights have broad applicability for managing stress, dealing with difficult people and living a life of purpose.

Impact Players

What can business leaders learn from a football player who is now one of the best at his position, but who never played the sport before he was drafted? This podcast focuses on "impact players," who do whatever needs to be done to get things across the finish line, are good at adapting to new situations, and raise the level of play of everyone around them. Impact players are made, not born: it doesn't matter whether it's sports or business. And it's up to leaders to provide the necessary tools.

You Gotta Choose Two

Last week I attended the annual gathering for Vistage Chairs from around the world. On the ride to the airport after the conference I met Mark, another Chair from the west coast, who had had a very successful career as a public company CEO. He was a Vistage member for 17 years, and credits the experience with his growth as a business leader. When I asked Mark why he became a Chair, he shared a story of when his wife posed a question at an important juncture in his career. Listen to this podcast to learn what she asked him.

Climbing All the Way to the Top

Yesterday I climbed a mountain. Not figuratively. I actually climbed a mountain. On a couple of occasions as we climbed the steep and rocky path, the trail leveled off, revealing a beautiful view of another mountain. For a moment we thought we were at the top, until we turned and saw that the trail continued upward. Finally we came to a magnificent opening. It was a series of giant boulders, with spectacular views in all directions. We were looking not just at another mountain or two, but at 10 or 12 mountains, and beyond them dozens more. As leaders, we climb mountains all the time, and we may be tempted to stop halfway, and only factor in the viewpoints immediately before us. But we have to climb all the way to the top, where we can see many different perspectives, including--and especially--those that challenge us and make us uncomfortable. Leadership is all about perspectives.

Mentoring Is A Two-Way Street

A number of years ago I worked for a large company, and the CEO required every member of his team to identify a mentor.  And the mentor had to be at least 20 years younger than us.  We would not be mentoring them, he said.  They would be mentoring us.  This week I learned something that surprised me.  Gen Z--defined as someone born in the year 2000 or later--is the largest generation in human history. Over the next 10 years, 1.3 billion of them will enter the global workforce.  The very culture of the workplace itself is changing. As the number of Gen Z-ers in the workfore grows, older and younger generations will both need to adapt.  It's an opportunity for them to mentor each other.

Learning About Leadership From Ducks

From my living room I overlook a small harbor, and one of my favorite things this time of year is watching the ducks. Ducks are extraordinary creatures, who offer extraordinary lessons for business leaders. As a leader are you trying to go it alone? How much are you getting outside perspectives to broaden your vision? And are you adapting your business to rapidly changing conditions? Maybe you can learn something from ducks!

Lessons from a 45 Year Old Memo

For many, the new year is an opportunity to press the reset button, to return to the fundamentals. I recently came across a 45 year old internal memo written by a person who was then the director of marketing at Nike. The memo stopped me in my tracks, first because it was so old, and second because it was so timely. It was entitled "Principles," and for as short as the memo was, it was chock full of wisdom for business leaders today.