“When a team outgrows individual performance and learns team confidence, excellence becomes a reality” (Joe Paterno) Many motivation theories suggest that successful performance hinges on both having the needed skills and, also, the will to use these skills to achieve, but even motivated and skilled teams may fail to perform if they don’t have a…
Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads (Back to the Future – 1985) The world is quite different now – the very concept of “team” has been challenged, revised and reconstructed. On the one hand, globalisation has accelerated the employ of diverse and remote teams, where team members operate from many different countries in…
“Becoming the best kind of leader isn’t about emulating a role model or a historic figure. Rather, your leadership must be rooted in who you are and what matters most to you” (Harry M Jansen Kraemer Jr) In the continuing, increasingly complex and changing challenges that our world is experiencing, many of which have potentially…
One of the most important actions that executive leaders should be undertaking, especially during the corona virus pandemic, is targeting managers to re-establish their self-confidence. COVID-19 has pulled the rug out from under their feet and most managers, too, are feeling fragile, insecure and unsure. These feelings of insecurity don’t augur well for innovation, creativity,…
In our ever-changing and constantly disrupted world, leadership excellence is a necessity – although seemingly stating the obvious, countless different management philosophies and methods abound, many of which are ineffective and some even introducing toxicity and dysfunctionality into the work environment. Many organisations “labour” under poor and even devious managers. In these organisations, most employees…
Motivation theories have suggested that successful performance hinges on both having the needed skill and also the will to use the skill to achieve, but even motivated and skilled employees may fail to perform if they don’t have a personal certainty or belief that they can cope with what needs to be done. It would…
“Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside of them was superior to circumstance” (Bruce Barton) Most kids imagine becoming “super-heroes” – becoming invincible, being able to conquer evil, having the wit, wisdom and strength to outplay any adversary or the ability to overcome any obstacle that might…
Some time ago, Microsoft announced that it would acquire the professional networking site, LinkedIn, for US$ 196 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at US$ 26.2 billion. In an e-mail to LinkedIn employees, LinkedIn CEO, Jeff Weiner, explained why he decided to sell the company to Microsoft. Weiner mentions Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s leadership…
“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained”. Marie Curie History is filled with examples of people who were dealt very difficult hands, but who…
You sense it when you walk in the door – either “this feels like a good place in which to work” or “something is happening here that is causing people to be unhappy and frustrated”. You sense it in body posture, you discover it from the way in which you are greeted and you observe…
I’ve been a consultant to a couple of organisations where it’s hard to get to the truth: the facts about a situation, an opportunity or a problem that they are facing. They tell you what they require and their expected outcomes, but don’t really divulge the apparent complexities of the presenting issues – people problems,…
There is a story that is read to many children all over the world – some of you may have had a deprived childhood not having this classic read to you when you were young (tongue in cheek), but here it is – a railroad story, the story of a train carrying toys. Now, the…
