It is Friday, February 3, 2012. Just 2 days until Super Bowl Sunday 2012. Virtually every person reading this article will watch part or all of the big game… as well as most of the extremely expensive advertisements! Like all events, the Super Bowl provides excellent opportunities to relate to, remember and re-focus on important …
Tony Schwartz, President and CEO of The Energy Project and author of Be Excellent at Anything, addressed a critical leadership principle in a recent Harvard Business Review blog titled Why Appreciation Matters So Much. No leader who desires leadership excellence can ignore this critical success factor: “Whatever else each of us derives from our work, there may …
A recent article in Healthcare Executive Magazine titled, The 85 Percent Solution, is worthy of revisiting and re-emphasizing. The author assumes you are responsible for at least 85 percent of your success. Even if up to 15 percent of your success depends on luck, you can achieve the results you desire. The author writes, “Accountability is …
“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” Sir Winston Churchill, the British statesman, prime minister, author, and Nobel Prize winner is credited with having made this powerful statement, “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is …
Do you regularly allocate quality time and focused energy in life-long pursuit of ever-improving Personal Presence? If you don’t, I suggest you should. And it is never too late to start. Virtually nothing will contribute more to your personal, professional and organizational leadership and success than improving your Personal Presence. “Personal Presence may be difficult …
In a recent article focused on Essential Commitments for Leadership, Rick Warren, the best selling author of The Purpose Driven Life, wrote the following: “Leaders are always defined by self-imposed standards. I’m not talking about standards set by other people, but standards they set for themselves. Great leaders always expect more from themselves than they do …
Improving professional relationships by improving conversations with those whom you do business, is always an excellent leadership strategy… as well as an excellent investment in your future. CBS Money Watch recently published an article featuring 21 ways to improve conversations, thereby improving personal and business relationships. The list includes asking questions such as: …
The Harvard Business Review published some excellent advice in a recent article titled Five Resolutions for Aspiring Leaders. The article was written by John Coleman and Bill George. “Find a trustworthy mentor: Mentorship is a critical component of your development as a leader. A 2004 study showed that young leaders with mentors were more likely to …
Seth Godin, the best selling author and world-class marketing thought leader recently wrote a blog post that is well worth sharing. The blog provides excellent perspective and food-for-thought for 2012 and beyond. I encourage you not only to read, but to take appropriate action as suggested by this particular blog post, which was titled Trustiness: “We’re all …
“Differentiation is the essence of strategy, the prime source of competitive advantage. You earn [revenue and marketshare] not just by performing a valuable task [or service] but by being different from your competitors in a manner that lets you serve your core customers better and more profitably.” “The sharper your differentiation, the greater your advantage.” …
Fast Company recently published an article titled, “How to Prepare When You Only Get One Shot At Persuasion.” The article argues that when you have only one shot to present and persuade – as opposed to a block of time or several opportunities – you must prepare differently. Every leader has faced, and will face …
The December 2011 Harvard Business Review features an article (pages 43-46) written by Mindy Grossman. Grossman has enjoyed unusual success in senior leadership positions at several companies. She recently reinvented the HSN brand, turned the company around, and has very successfully re-engaged the workforce of this $3 billion company. In the article, Grossman explains that she was …
The November, 2011 Harvard Business Review, “How I Did It” section contains an interesting and thought provoking article that, in my opinion, all healthcare leaders would do well to read, and carefully think about. The article is written by Kevin Peters, President of Office Depot and leader of all Office Depot’s retail stores throughout United …
There is only one way to achieve leadership excellence. There is only one way to become an excellent leader. That one way, the only way, is through consistent, continuous, focused, deliberate practice. Excellent leaders learn leadership excellence in only one way… deliberate practice. Not just practice, practice, practice… but consistent, continuous, focused, and deliberate …
The Harvard Business Review recently published an article that is particularly germane to healthcare organizations and healthcare leaders during this time of “healthcare reform” and a seemingly “new normal,” much slower and weaker economy. A huge title wave of negativity and pessimism has engulfed healthcare, maybe more appropriately described as a tsunami. Although some healthcare …
Healthcare leadership and healthcare delivery is a constant, dynamic, learning lab. Learning, relearning and improving is the very nature of our ever-changing, ever-evolving healthcare system. And, just as it should be. After all, we are dealing with the most valuable, precious, priceless gift and factor in the universe… that would be life. Without life, nothing else matters. …
A recent Harvard Business Review article featured the unexpected and difficult, but very successful transformation of an Ivy League educated CEO. “Michael Mack had a perfect CV: a BA from Brown, an MBA from Harvard, six years at the consulting firm Bain & Company, and then a successful move into entrepreneurship that resulted in …
In preparation for a feature article on America’s Healthcare Leaders, I recently interviewed a highly successful hospital and health system CEO who is now retired. This man served as CEO of the same organization for over 25 years. That healthcare organization consistently grew, improved and prospered in countless ways over those 25 years. The first question …
Steve Ventura is author of The Leadership Solution, which is published by walkthetalk.com. Ventura recently wrote a short but powerful message titled, How to Achieve Success … Together. This short article would make an excellent discussion piece for any team wanting to maintain success and become even more successful. I suggest you simply share Ventura’s brief …
It was my privelege to speak and lead a discussion last week with the leadership of one of Morrison Management Specialists’ very successful healthcare divisions. The division is led by Jack Lawless, an outstanding inspirational leader. Jack is a true professional in every sense of the word. Morrison serves approximately 460 acute care clients and …