“I knew it was a fake check,” she said. “But if I didn’t come up with the money, we were going to lose our car.” In more than two decades in law enforcement, this one case still stands out in my mind. Angelique was a wife, mother, and by all accounts, a good person with […]
Archive for Leadership
The Character Advantage
Why It's Worth Doing the Right Thing Even When It's Costly or Inconvenient
All leaders want to be successful, but sometimes we face situations that pit our desire for results against our values. In this episode, we’ll help you recognize that temptation and equip you to do the right thing when it’s costly. By doing so, you’ll avoid doing damage to your organization and your reputation—and you’ll build […]
When Nobody’s Looking
J.C. Watts on How to Get Better Character
Julius Caesar Watts memorably said that “character”—meaning good character—is about “doing what’s right when nobody’s looking.” Watts would know a lot about people looking on. From the Oklahoma Sooners to the Canadian Football League to a Baptist pulpit and on to elected office, at both state and national levels, and then back into the private […]
Automation for the People
Why It's Difficult and How to Get It Right
If you want to understand how hard it can be to automate, consider the many attempts to replace cashiers with self-checkout systems. To wit, CVS pharmacies were once lousy with self-checkout systems, which I personally tried to use, many times, to get out the door faster. Almost every time, some loud error sent me to […]
Productivity Investments that Pay for Themselves
How to Achieve More by Doing Less
Most of us try to increase productivity by doing more things faster. As a result, we wind up overloaded and exhausted. Like a hamster on a wheel, we’re playing a game we can’t possibly win. In this episode, we talk about the value of investing in your own margin. I’ll show you how to accomplish […]
End Your Fear of Power Sharing
4 Reasons to Relax That Grip
It started with my first day on the job. I’d just been named senior leader at a growing organization with a generously-sized staff. Yet there were problems, as there are in any institution, and I was determined to solve them. All of them. Right away. Communications was a weak point, so I decided to personally […]