Articles

2x2 grid of pastel colors

Build The Team: Alignment vs. Results

July 13, 2019

What do you do if you have someone on your team who produces great results but isn’t exactly a “team-player?” Do you have a prima donna or a lone-wolf on your team? Is there one team member who produces great results but comes up short on the category of “works and plays well with others?”

Teams are complicated organisms, propelled by the energy and interpersonal dynamics of the members.

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The question "What is Culture?" written in chalk on a blackboard.

What is Culture Anyway?

July 8, 2019

When it comes to building great organizations, just about everyone would agree: culture is important. Culture is the heart and soul of an organization. When we hire people, we hire for “fit” into our culture. There are even companies who have Chief Culture Officers. And, of course, there’s the ever-popular trope that Culture Eats Strategy for Lunch.

But what is culture anyway? If it’s so doggone important, how do we know what we’re looking for? And how, perchance, might we shape and build the culture that we want?

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Quote that reads: The ideal organization makes explicit efforts to transcend the dominant currents in its culture.

Great Places to Work

April 26, 2013

For years I have been refining my thinking on leadership and vibrant organizations into a model that I call “Cohesive Leadership.” This month, HBR published an article that validates and reinforces everything I believe in. Sweet…

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Apple corporate logo, black

Cohesive Leadership at Apple

February 27, 2013

I define a cohesive team as one that wants to work together, that is constantly learning how to work together, and focuses on leveraging the talents and strengths of every member of that team. I believe that Apple is lead by such a team.

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Back view of female swim coach, wearing COACH shirt, giving instruction to her swimmers

Two Kinds of People…

December 3, 2012

There are two kinds of people in the world: those who see a coach as a sign of weakness … and those who know that working with a coach is an avenue to greatness.

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