The Changing Leadership Landscape
The changing leadership landscape means again leaders face a challenging business environment in 2019. Moreover, opportunities abound for leaders who can effectively manage the changes required and deliver strategies for sustainable success. The dilemma leaders face is with the pace of change, unpredictable economic climate and disruptive technologies. These combined factors continue to impact negatively…
Authentic Leaders Are Developed
Authentic leaders are developed and this is good news. In the perennial search for higher performance, leaders seek out new insights. For one thing, leaders focus on upgrading capabilities, addressing strategies annually and adding to an already full ‘to do’ list. They learn to instill calm and are trustworthy. Firstly, we trust them. Secondly, we…
Mind the Performance Gap
To mind the performance gap means to build the habits that successful leaders display over and above just capability. Continuous improvement is critical when it comes to building business capabilities. While the capabilities a leader needs to learn or refine are similar each year, leaders need to commit to lifelong learning to master their skills…
Leadership – Be High Performing
Professional service firm leaders live in high stress positions. Leadership skills must evolve to meet new demands. This is especially true as the calls to be high performing evolve. The world in which we work constantly changes. To put it another way, organizations are challenged with conditions that change at breakneck speed. To succeed in…
Profit – Maximize Your Profitability
Building a better business creates positive cash flow and profit. Today’s business owner needs to thrive in a global economy. That is, drive change to increase profitability. For example, processes either add value or create waste to the production of a product or service. Removing waste will effectively increase profit. Studies show as much as…
Change Success Is Business Improvement
Change is unavoidable for a business to grow, to respond to customer needs and address the evolving competitive landscape. Research tells us that the probability of change success in whatever project or initiative you undertake is as low as 30%. As a result, there is a 70% probability you will fail. With only a 30%…
A Strategic Plan is a Roadmap – It is a Direction
How often do you plan a road trip without the help of a roadmap? Of course today many of us use an app. Today’s environment of constant change, volatility and competitive pressures. This demands a robust and ever-evolving strategic plan focused on delivering successful outcomes. Most importantly, the plan needs to be flexible. This is…
Core Values Are Your Guiding Principles
As a business leader, you are responsible for the culture you create. Two primary drivers are purpose and core values. Purpose excites people, attracts them to a common goal. Core values bring people together, inspire a sense of belonging. So as you hire people, be sure they follow the core values of the business. Above…
Innovation Process is a Bridge
Ready, set and go! Creating a collaborative work environment using technology in a multi-office environment first starts with asking “what’s possible”. Next use an innovative process to work out the details. An innovation process is a bridge between continuous improvement and breakthrough leaps. It uses simple steps to make it easy for your team to…
Business Skills Transfer
Implement business skills transfer through a Growth Hub leadership development program designed for you. Often, leaders are too busy for traditional learning and coaching support. In that case, leaders need to pivot and adapt to build new capabilities. They need experienced support to drive the success of the business, grow as leaders and adapt to…
Core Visions and Purposes
Recently we facilitated a core visions and purposes workshop for business leaders in the CPA industry. The content applies to leaders in any industry who want to build better businesses. The book Built to Last by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras provided a deep dive on vision, values and purpose. Understanding core visions and purposes…
Managing Time and Productivity
Daily leaders must address the delicate balance of managing time and productivity. For instance, this is a great article Management Time: Who’s Got the Monkey originally published in the Harvard Business Review in its November-December 1974 issue and reissued as a Classic in the November-December 1999 issue. The authors are William Oncken, Jr. and Donald…
Opportunities in a Crisis
In a movie that was popular in 2000, a Perfect Storm engulfed the experienced crew of a fishing boat off the New England coast. In the middle of the ocean the opportunities were few. Well, in 2008, a “Perfect Storm” of events both globally and at home hit the business world. While those were trying…
Making good decisions to reduce risk
Making good decisions is a business skill that many people take for granted. My library is filled with books on proper questioning techniques. Some of my go to books includes: “Leading with Questions” by Michael Marquardt; “A More Beautiful Question” by Warren Berger;
Business Improvement Strategies
Most business leaders I know are plugged in 24/7, continually searching for business improvement strategies to create a winning organization. It’s true such organizations are rare, yet you know them when you see them. They have the right structure, the right beliefs and waste is under control. It’s almost as if the stars aligned! The…
Roadmap for Growth – A 50,000 Foot Overview
Developing a roadmap for growth is essential for you personally and for your business. We recommend you start with a simple roadmap. “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.” – Lewis Carroll We’ve talked about vision and reflecting on the past to help you build a roadmap…
What’s Working Not Working
What’s Working Not Working? Starting the year off with lots of enthusiasm and energy is like “resolution” mania. Lots of good intentions and activities crowd our minds. But how do they relate to where you and your business were headed last year? Have you taken time to reflect on where you were headed? What went…