Leadership Lessons from Ms. Lopez and HONY
On January 19, HONY (Humans of New York) shared a photo of Vidal and this brief conversation…
One of the hardest things the leader has to do
Many years ago, when I was the CEO of a food processing and distribution company, a line worker was caught stealing a jar of jam. I fired her. She pleaded with me that it was only one small jar, sobbing as she told me about her children, and her very poor circumstances. I was emotionally moved, and still feel a great deal of sorrow over it.
Are you ready for a catastrophic event?
Recently, one of my clients experienced what I can only term a “catastrophic event”. A catastrophic event is one that brings a sudden end to an existing situation and usually strikes on a large scale. It is unforeseen and unplanned for and rocks the foundation of your business.
Simplicity in your organization. It’s simpler than you think.
“Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains” – Steve Jobs
Belling the HR cat – or is it the CEO?
In response to my post 2 weeks ago, a VP-HR e-mailed this comment to me. She has given permission to share, but anonymously. “So true! We used to have all the managers at our monthly Managing Committee meeting.
Belling the HR cat
In my conversations with CEOs and other senior leaders, I often hear frustration and disquiet with the leadership of their Human Resource function. Because my work is in strategy, they express disappointment with the role he/she is playing in the formation and execution of strategy.
Field trip – Corporate Style!
“Field trip”! Those two words were music to my ears when I was at school. Field trips were always the highlight of the school year. Rue any teacher who didn’t organize one!
Your Summer Reading List – how about business books?
This January, my daughter Victoria and I decided to read the Bible. By February, she had finished. I was still at Genesis Chapter 10. I wondered why, since I am a fast reader. “Mummy, your problem is that you read and analyse everything. I just read it like literature”. Wise child.
How to dig yourself deeper into a poor service experience
Providing a bad service experience need not mean the end of a good relationship with your customer. Indeed, it can actually increase customer delight, as was expounded in the classic HBR article “The Profitable Art of Service Recovery”
When the playground bully turns up in your team
Do you ever wonder what happened to the playground bully of your childhood? The boy or girl who tormented you, called you names, hit you, teased you and any of the gamut of things that bullies do? Did he change? You wonder – did she outgrow her behaviour and become a sweet, caring soul? Wishful thinking …