FROM MY BOOKSHELF: The Unheroic Work by Michelle Hogan
When I first met Michelle Hogan over 25 years ago the first thing I noticed about her was her Australian accent. The second thing I noticed was that she talked about brand like nobody else I’d ever met. She said to me, “Larry, forget about your company’s name, logo, and tagline. Your brand is all […]
FROM MY BOOKSHELF: Originals: How NonConformists Move the World by Adam Grant
Conformity – going with the established ways of doing things — is a reasonable strategy when it comes to navigating your career. It’s the path of least resistance. But according to author Adam Grant, if you want to change the world, you must pursue the path of originality. In Originals, Grant combines academic research about […]
FROM MY BOOKSHELF: Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone by Brene’ Brown, PhD
“True belonging doesn’t require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are.” – Brene’ Brown Most of us want to belong. We want to be accepted, liked, and admired. Sometimes we feel that the only way to get this external validation is to silence an important part of ourselves […]
FROM MY BOOKSHELF: Fierce to Fire, Two Books for Mastering Candor
My last two blogs were about building a team culture of candor and courageous listening. But to do both well, what teams really need is a culture of skillful candor. Communicating with candor without skillfulness can be experienced as attacking, unloading, or showboating. It can be hurtful and drive people back into avoidance masquerading as […]
FROM MY BOOKSHELF: Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck – Why Some Thrive Despite them All
A CEO recently said to me: “Leading my company these days feels like trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube, blindfolded while on a roller coaster.” He was talking about the disorienting pace of change, the inability to predict what will happen next, and the complexity of the landscape in which our organizations operate. I sent […]
FROM MY BOOKSHELF: Courageous Leadership: Leading and Living with Integrity
“What would you do with more courage?” This phrase, in the preface of Shelly Francis’s book, captured me. It immediately brought to mind what I would do: Instead of trying to control a challenging situation I would trust my intuition. I would be willing to make the wrong move. I would draw more frequently on […]
FROM MY BOOKSHELF: Don’t Just Do Something, Stand There! Ten Principles for Leading Meetings That Matter
“Meetings are as common as dirt and about as popular.” –Marvin Weisbord and Sandra Janoff In my work helping clients to achieve breakthrough collaboration, here’s a question I often think about – How do we create conditions that help people with diverse perspectives come together to do their best thinking, make solid decisions, and mobilize […]