Why do plans fail? We’re nearing the year’s midpoint. How’s your performance? Take these two actions in the next two weeks to increase the odds you’ll finish the year strong. First, …

Most of us are so busy doing our own thing – meeting deadlines, completing projects, hitting the numbers – that we sometimes fail to consider problems and opportunities from the …

Summer’s here. Trees are branching out, flowers are in bloom, and the bees are back. We’ve said before that you must cultivate your workplace culture – your work environment – as …

The month of May is a time to celebrate graduations. And a time for all of us to think. This excerpt is from Barbara Kingsolver’s commencement address to the 2008 …

There are two big sports seasons in Texas: football and spring football. Last Saturday, the University of Texas played its annual Orange-White scrimmage. New head coach Charlie Strong made three …

March Madness is over. So is the first quarter of 2014. What’s your score? My survey of 6,000 executives worldwide shows that most organizations do a poor job of tracking performance. …

This post was first published in 2014, and is being re-posted due to popular response at the time. It’s a busy time of year. If your fiscal year ends Dec. …

This Sunday is Groundhog Day. It’s a custom begun in the 18th century among Pennsylvanians who brought this tradition from Germany: a groundhog that sees his shadow returns to his …

Forty years ago this month, sweet little old Clara Peller became a worldwide cultural icon when, in a TV commercial for Wendy’s, she received a hamburger that was mostly bun …

Happy New Year! And welcome to National Change Month, the time of the year when we get fired up about changing our lives. As you contemplate the changes you’ll commit …

Today’s the end of 2013. Looking back, what accomplishment brought you the greatest sense of fulfillment? A CEO and I were chatting over a glass of wine when he shared …

Professional football teams have just two games to play in their regular season. A few teams will advance to the playoffs.  Most will think back on another season squandered. Inside …

The leadership teams I work with run successful organizations. They are good at what they do and want to get better. When I lead strategic planning sessions, one of the …

The following includes excerpts from Accountability: The Key to Driving a High-Performance Culture, Greg Bustin’s latest must-read book for leaders that will be published February 2014 by McGraw-Hill.   There …

Halloween is in two days. Here are three sets of scary questions leaders should be prepared to answer from their team: Do we have the people on our team we …

One hundred years ago this month the Panama Canal opened, making it possible for ships to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Isthmus of Panama in half …

Every year, companies make huge mistakes during their strategic planning sessions. These mistakes result in frustration, lost dollars and another missed chance to get it right. This year, avoid those …

Most plans fail. Plans rarely fail because of misguided strategy or a lack of good ideas.  If anything, organizations have a bad habit of putting too many good ideas in …

Summer’s here and that means vacations are here, too. Will your organization maintain its momentum during summer, or will your plans slow down or fall behind as your talented team …

Strategic Planning Tips Learned from America’s Forefathers In two days – July 4 – Americans celebrate Independence Day. This national holiday commemorates the passage by the Second Continental Congress in …