October 31st, 2023 | Published in Accountability, Holiday, Leadership, Strategic Planning
In the spirit of Halloween, here are 10 scary questions to ask yourself and then answer to get the most out of life. A version of today’s post first appeared 10 …
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April 11th, 2023 | Published in Goal Setting, Leadership, Productivity, Strategic Planning
I’ve led more than 250 strategic planning sessions. While each planning session is different, I’ve seen firsthand that companies wrestle with performance issues in similar ways. Exceptional companies succeed by following …
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February 2nd, 2023 | Published in Leadership, Problem Solving, Strategic Planning
How will we stay ahead of the pack? On a chilly, overcast February day in Mainz, Germany, a middle-aged inventor wondered to himself if his career had finally taken a …
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January 10th, 2023 | Published in Leadership, Problem Solving, Productivity, Strategic Planning
How Great Leaders Decide What was your best decision of 2022? How did you make it? What was your worst decision of 2022? How did you make it? When asked …
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June 7th, 2022 | Published in Leadership, Organization Health, Productivity, Strategic Planning
This article was first published in June 2012. It’s been updated due to its popularity and is being re-posted following our return from Portugal where I’m happy to report we …
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September 7th, 2021 | Published in Accountability, Strategic Planning
We’re entering the Season of Possibilities. It’s the time period between Labor Day and mid-December when effective executives assemble their senior leaders to begin focused discussions about their organization’s future. …
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August 5th, 2021 | Published in Accountability, Strategic Planning
What does everyone see yet doesn’t say? Even in well-run organizations it’s not uncommon for people to see things that need to be addressed yet remain reluctant to initiate a …
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December 22nd, 2019 | Published in Leadership, Strategic Planning
Amid the year-end frenzy there’s an opportunity to slow down, pause and reflect on the past year and look to the future of the year that’s about to begin.
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March 5th, 2019 | Published in Strategic Planning
A Leader’s Job: Confront Reality America’s early days as a nation were shaped by big decisions. Bold, gutsy decisions. Even decisions to intentionally avoid making a decision. The signers of …
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August 31st, 2018 | Published in Strategic Planning
Animal House Turns 40 September means “Back to school,” and this year one of America’s most famous college campuses—the fictional Faber College in National Lampoon’s Animal House—turns 40. The 1978 film …
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August 15th, 2018 | Published in Strategic Planning
Three Secrets for an Effective Planning Session Ten years ago, David Collis and Michael Rukstad’s article “Can You Say What Your Strategy Is?” was published in the Harvard Business Review. …
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August 7th, 2018 | Published in Leadership, Strategic Planning
The Leaning Tower of Pisa Offers Clues for Your Upcoming Planning Session The period between Labor Day and Thanksgiving is often when leaders gather to affirm their organization’s strategies and …
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September 15th, 2017 | Published in Strategic Planning
As we move into the final quarter of 2017, how will you and your team begin to lay the groundwork for next year? Take 60 seconds to answer these 3 …
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August 10th, 2017 | Published in Strategic Planning
With summer nearly a memory, companies are entering the home stretch of the year. Many leaders will consider holding a session with strategic planning consultants, as this will allow you …
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July 4th, 2017 | Published in Leadership, Strategic Planning
The first battles of the American Revolutionary War were fought at Lexington and Concord on 19 April 1775. The Battle of Yorktown that culminated on 19 October 1781 with Lieutenant …
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June 19th, 2017 | Published in Productivity, Strategic Planning
What Business Leaders Can Learn from the Beatles Chances to secure a recording contract were evaporating. The Beatles had talent, judging from audiences they drew regularly in clubs around England, …
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February 6th, 2017 | Published in Leadership, Strategic Planning
On our family’s recent trip to the Galapagos Islands, we experienced some of the phenomena peculiar to this archipelago that helped inform Charles Darwin’s controversial and ground-breaking theories in On …
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September 2nd, 2016 | Published in Strategic Planning
Will you be gathering your leaders to develop your company’s plan for 2017? Then you might want to take a page from my book, Lead The Way, to have a …
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June 28th, 2016 | Published in Strategic Planning
Declare War on Ineffective Strategic Planning Next week is the 240th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Americans will celebrate Independence Day on July 4th. This national …
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January 5th, 2016 | Published in Strategic Planning
“In all affairs,” wrote British philosopher Bertrand Russell, “it’s a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted.” Download …
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Business schools teach case studies. Hollywood blockbusters are inspired by true events.
Exceptional leaders are students of history. Decision-making comes with the territory.