Isn’t it true that people are an organization's most appreciable asset?  What I’m learning is the longer I’m in the seat the more value I need to place on people -- in particular the top 20%. When it is all said and done, I believe leadership isn’t about strategy, efficiency, marketing systems or high quality products -- it’s about people! We lead people -- not manage them.  Our people skills are the leader’s most critical asset.  Developing, practicing, and honing people skills are a good investment of our time as a leader. There is no substitute for the leader who is good with people.  If you are good with people you can lead in a variety of contexts. Bottom line [...]

"Competitors will eventually copy an innovative idea for a product or service but an organization of highly motivated people is very hard to duplicate," Bill George. I don’t know about you, but I’ve learned over the years that I can’t motivate anyone.  Maybe a short period of time light “a little fire,"  but it generally doesn’t sustain. I'm reminded of legendary New York Yankee's manager's comments when a reporter asked him what his secret was for winning so many World Series. Great answer: "Have good players." I’ve found I am a better leader, and a much better coach when I'm working with motivated people.  It’s more fun, more satisfying and results follow. It all seems to start with who we [...]

Leading author and consultant, Ken Blanchard states “People already have power through their knowledge and motivation.  The key to empowerment is letting this power out." So what is empowerment? It is the process of unleashing the power in people -- their knowledge, experience, motivation, and focusing that power to achieve the positive outcomes for the organization. As leaders, we should be striving to create a culture of empowerment.  To do so, we may need to scrub some traditions, habits and even language.  For example -- instead of dictating tasks to do – see yourself as a coach -- a partner in unleashing their skill and our knowledge. How about changing the word planning to visioning.  Visioning suggests a more inclusive [...]