Over and over in leadership competency models, 360's and research, integrity shows up as a fundamental leadership capacity.  Perhaps even THE fundamental leadership capacity.  Integrity is not just about doing the right thing.  In the realm of leadership, it is measured by behaving in a way consistent with the values you espouse - especially when it is hard. Sometimes, a decision to act in a way contrary to our ...

This post at Evil HR Lady would be funny- if it were not so painful.  I know that when everyone is getting nervous about expenses, companies get very creative about ways to save money.  But this one is a great example of what I was observing about Peter Senge’s presentation. If your definition of the purpose of your company is to make profits, then you do things like not ...

The star of the recent ICF Coaching conference in Montreal last week (at least for me) was Mathieu Ricard.  (If nothing else, the contrast of a Frenchman with a PhD in molecular biology who is a Buddhist monk was enough to get my attention.) Ricard takes the science of a focused mind out of the abstract and mysterious and makes a clear point: a focused mind is more productive, ...

I am writing today from the International coach Federation meeting in Montreal, Canada.  Our keynote this morning came from Peter Senge, who as usual for him turned the world inside out by asking us to look at an entire system. He took the courageous step of challenging a quote from Peter Drucker, who said that, ”Profits are to business as oxygen is to the body.”  Senge pointed out that ...

I am very excited to tell you that my Manifesto Redeeming Sisyphus: Get Out of Control! Get More Done! is being published today by ChangeThis.com, a great site for dissemination of ideas and discussion.  If you have not seen ChangeThis, I encourage you to go check out the manifesto here- then browse the site. You will find similar documents from a range of unknown but provocative writers as ...

Did you feel it?  Did you notice how much energy, hope, exasperation, optimism and anticipation was placed on the outcome of the election? How about your own feelings toward a new leader?  For all I know, we may decide tonight when this post goes out or we may be at the beginning of yet another brouhaha in the courts about who won. Either way, there is an important concept for ...

I know that the U.S. is not the only country in the world with popular elections.  I am also aware that our brand of democracy is swimming in challenges of a free enterprise system that has allowed greed off the leash.  And yet, every 4 years we change the government in the areas most critical without anyone dying and without a shot being fired. Yes, we take moral and ...

OK- I am not one for web chain letters or even viral marketing, but this one is just too out there to ignore. Go here, pick the beard of your choice and do this to a picture you have on hand: (It is easy even if you do not have any graphics tools) Send the result to them (there is mail link on the site) and you are famous on the ...

Are you trying to polish a sneaker? Many leaders strive to create environments that will stretch colleagues by providing opportunities to take on bigger challenges.  But what is the impact of pushing an employee beyond the limits of their energy, talent, interest or capacity?  Laurence Peter described the way that the relentless drive to do more often subverts both the individual and the organization in his (now classic) The ...

Sacrifice your credibility and you lose. Even if you win by overpowering someone with false, misleading or partial arguments, you lose. Here is a list of ways to lose: Be pigheaded. Instead of listening and trying to understand the other point of view, spend your time preparing your response. Lose faster by shaking your head as if the person you are debating with is just a ...