Articles

Group Of Business People With Their Hands Together

Diversity in Council … Unity in Command

July 21, 2019

Alfred Sloan, when he ran General Motors in the 1920s and 1930s, would refuse to make a decision at a meeting if no one could argue a strong case against what was being proposed. He felt that if no one had any objections to what was being decided, it was because they had not thought long and hard enough about the question under consideration.

Alfred Sloan understood that the best ideas — along with the best decisions — are forged in the crucibles of healthy conflict. If there are no objections leading up to a decision, then either people just aren’t trying hard enough or your team isn’t working on hard enough problems. Clear thinking, innovation, and good decisions depend on diverse perspectives and opposing points of view. 

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A random array of multi-colored dots of various sizes

Leadership and Diversity: Making the Most of the Mix

April 24, 2015

Most people know that diversity in their organizations is important. That is, most people have a vague sense that more diversity on their teams would lead to more innovation, higher creativity, stronger engagement, etc. But did you also know that more diversity leads to better business results?

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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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