Just as often as writing unique articles for this blog, I like to pass along interesting things from other folks. For any of you that know me, you know I am a voracious reader - and proud collector of OPI (other people’s ideas). Why re-invent the wheel, when some incredibly smart person has already perfected it and you can download it for free from the Internet? So here is a super article I found on Authentic Leadership. Hope you enjoy… Read the rest of this entry »

I am a huge fan of Tom Peters. Love his books, ideas, and rants. I have met Tom on several occasions and really enjoy his quick wit, wry sense of humor and passion for business excellence. This is an article from Richard King, the director of the Tom Peters consultancy in UK, that was just posted on Tom’s site — I think he has some strong ideas for what it will take to weather the upcoming business challenges. Worth taking five minutes to read…

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A very close friend asked me to facilitate his organization’s upcoming strategic planning retreat, but unfortunately the days he needed were already booked for another client. The next best thing I could offer was some advice. I have probably facilitated 80 or 90 retreats in the last 20 years, from non-profits to the Fortune 50 - here is how I typically approach a planning retreat… Read the rest of this entry »

I was recently invited to return to the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business for the fourth year in a row to teach a special class on strategic planning for the Securities Industry Institute. I called my contact a few months before the session to ask if it was possible to shift the class more from “strategic planning” to “strategic thinking” this year, but was surprised to find out that 98 executives had already signed up for the class based on the catalog description of it as “a solid look at how to write an effective strategic plan.” So, I decided to go back and take a hard look at the program and see if I could update it a bit and was surprised to have an epiphany of sorts…

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We have just posted up some new video from a speech I gave earlier this year for the incredible folks at Harman International.  This excerpt focuses on what it takes to keep talent on your team.  There are some great ideas here - hope you enjoy!

Here is the link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQ7awMx_CE8

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There is a great website, written by Josh Kaufman, that I go to often. It is called the PMBA (Personal MBA) and is focused on this idea:

“Business schools don’t have a monopoly on worldly wisdom. If you’re serious about learning advanced business principles, the Personal MBA can help. The Personal MBA recommended reading list is the tangible result of hundreds of hours of reading and research, and features only the very best books the business press has to offer. So skip the fancy diploma and $150,000 loan - you can get a world-class business education simply by reading these books…”

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