Leadership

The Importance of Demand-Side Leadership in the Post-Merger Company

This post has been adapted from my grad school paper for my Negotiating Leadership course. In it, we were required to write about an experience related to a merger or acquisition and our view of the effectiveness of leadership on both sides of the post-merger organization.   This course focused on understanding the complexities of global […]

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Empower your Team

I firmly believe that your team can only be successful if it is empowered to do its job. If you ask the manager, they think they have empowered their employees but that is not necessarily true. Empowering your employees means giving them the authority, resources, trust, and freedom to make decisions and take ownership of

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The Forgotten Business Case for Every Employee: Why Contribution Matters

Every employee, at some point before they were hired, whether for a new role, a backfill, or a stretch position, someone made a business case to support the need for their hiring. You might not have written it out, but the thinking was clear:We believe this person will help us generate revenue, reduce expenses, enhance

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Understanding The Why

“When employees understand the ‘why’ behind their work, they’re not just doing a task — they’re participating in a mission.” While working in the yard yesterday, I noticed something out of place in my neighbor’s yard. The downspout extension was directed directly towards the house’s foundation. Clearly, someone did not understand the purpose of the

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The Double-Edged Sword of Recognition: When Rewarding Good Work Goes Wrong

Recognition is one of leadership’s most potent yet underutilized tools. It inspires loyalty, reinforces values, and creates momentum. I discuss some of the applications in Mission First, People Always. But, like any sharp tool, it must be used carefully—or it can cut in the wrong direction.  People will go to extraordinary lengths when they feel

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