Why is it that most managers seem to work around the clock? The majority of an overworked manager’s “work” is often self-imposed tampering on tasks better handled by those they lead. I learned this the hard way as a first-time sales manager when one of my direct reports invited me…

If you interview an executive of a large company and a military leader, many aspects of the conversation will sound remarkably similar. Both are responsible for adapting to change, leading people, thinking strategically and delivering results. But several times during the conversation, you are reminded of just how different the…

Most of us have a horror story about a team whose members were stifled, silenced and behaving strictly on compliance. These narratives feature domineering coaches ruling by fear, or managers caught up in the self-importance of their job title. Without effort, we conjure up our feelings while navigating those choppy…

Ever wondered what a catcher says to his pitcher during a timeout in a tight baseball game? Few positions in sports feel pressure like a pitcher in baseball. The most talented baseball team in the world can’t win if their pitcher can’t throw strikes. Imagine standing on the mound with…

I grew up in a small town in Michigan. Not quite Detroit, but close enough to feel all of Detroit’s problems. Kids who dreamed big in my town thought of running an auto plant one day. If things really worked out, maybe work your way up to a corporate job…

“Don’t you think it would be easier to ask the people doing the work?” This question came from a union worker at an Indiana steel mill. He was thoroughly unimpressed with my plan to optimize his plant. I worked for GE in 2000. Six Sigma was our secret weapon. Though…

“Listen, we understand that you are not thrilled with your sales quotas.” Not thrilled. You’re asking me to grow sales by 60% during a recession. My first thought was prison showers and bars of soap, but it was also accurate to say I was not thrilled. As with all things…

Andy Dufresne crawled to freedom through five hundred yards of shit-smelling foulness I can’t even imagine, or maybe I just don’t want to. Five hundred yards, that’s the length of five football fields. ~ Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding The Shawshank Redemption is on my Mount Rushmore of movies. Run a…

You’ll have to forgive people from the Midwest for thinking less of you on “snow days.” I was raised in Michigan in the 80s. A “snow day” meant that the snow was covering at least half of the windows on the main floor when you woke up. And this only…