“In a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.” Laurence J. Peter wrote those words as satire in 1968. But as with most effective satire, it points to an underlying truth. The Peter Principle describes what can happen when an employee does well in one job and is subsequently promoted. She […]
The Peter Principle and How to Avoid It
The Science of Record-Breaking
Discover Your Own Path to Excellence
May 6, 1954 was a cold and windy day in Oxford, England. It was far from ideal conditions for a race, but it was also the day Roger Banister broke a record. He wasn’t a professional athlete, but a medical student with a knack for running. He set out on a wet race track and […]
Do You Have an Upper Limit Problem
3 Personal Barriers You Must Break
Leaders have big goals, but most of us have at least one limiting belief that keeps us from achieving them. Based on years of coaching leaders, we’ve identified their three most common limiting beliefs. You might just see yourself in one of them.
Practice Doesn’t Always Make Perfect
Why Your Race Is a Puzzle, and How to Solve It
Apple made a great leap forward in communications and mobile computing in 2007 when it launched the iPhone. It couldn’t have done this by sticking to all the things that made it a pioneer in desktop computing. The company tried to launch the Newton handheld computer in 1993. The product failed and this setback stung. […]
3 Leaders Reveal Their Hardest Conversations
Here's What They Learned From Them
Building a successful organization requires interpersonal skills as much as knowledge of finance or marketing strategies. Perhaps the most important tool in the relational toolbox is the tenacity to have tough talks that lead to the sort of necessary change that makes growth possible. Here, three individuals relate their most difficult conversations, revealing insights and […]
