A Call to Honor Political Leaders
Today is Election Day in the US, and I am thinking about political leadership. Most disparage politicians because of the duplicity many portray. If someone is deemed to be a politician in the context of a church or company, it is often expressed in a derogatory manner. It is implied that this person does not […]
Less Directive, More Directional
Less directive, more directional. I heard this phrase recently and I like it. As leaders, we need to be more directional, meaning we need to do more pointing in the direction the organization needs to go. Simultaneously, we need to be less directive, meaning we could minimize the number of instructions we give, telling people […]
Pictures of Leadership
Leadership. For the last ten years, I have researched and written about it. I have practiced it, and I have breathed it. Still there are times I lose my bearings and forget the way of good leadership. Why does this happen? Because leadership is hard. Being a businessperson is easy—or at least easier. But being […]
Pictures of Leadership
A parent, a pastor, a quarterback …who are you? Leadership. For the last ten years, I have researched and written about it. I have practiced it, and I have breathed it. Still many times, I lose my bearings and forget the way of good leadership. Why does this happen? Because leadership is hard. Being a […]
How to Create Culture: Actions
Tagline: 3…2…1…Action! The culture of an organization, company, church, or army is the foundation from which everything springs—both good and bad. If you want to be intentional about your culture, you must follow a three-step process. I talked about the first two in previous articles. First, it must begin with certain beliefs. Second, these beliefs […]
How to Create Culture: Words
Choosing the right words to describe your culture is crucial. Every company has a language, some more developed than others. If you want to shape your culture, shape the words that describe your culture. As a review, there are three steps to shaping culture within an organization. In a previous article, I spoke about beliefs […]
How to Create Culture: Beliefs
Beliefs shape words and actions How should we create and shape the culture of our organization, team, or even family? The process starts by placing high value on organizational culture. I once asked the CEO of a large hospital system, “How do you prioritize your time?” I expected he might give me an elaborate formula […]
Employee Happiness: Insights from Southwest Airlines
When it’s fun to come to work! Earlier this month, I flew with Southwest Airlines from Houston to Dallas and back to Houston. One thing struck me very clearly: the employees—all the employees—of Southwest Airlines who interacted with me seemed happy. That is to say, they are happy relative to any other airline I have […]
What Memories Are You Making with Your People?
I recently attended a surprise goodbye party for a young lady who worked with our company for about 12 years, who was resigning. Around 20 people gathered, with a lovely spread of food, we each took turns sharing different stories we remembered with that young lady. The room was filled with laughter and tears. In […]
Board Members Must Lead, Not Go Along for the Ride
If you are a board member, or a leader on a board of directors, where are you guiding your organization? You may think, Well, I am just a member, so it is not my role to guide. I cannot guide the direction of the board and organization. I beg to differ. You can, and you […]