I spent July 4th with my brother – an oil man his whole career. Over the weekend I got a lesson in hydrocarbon geology that seems useful for leaders. Geology of Talent It turns out that gas and oil doesn’t sit underground in huge lakes waiting to be pumped out. Who knew? I thought: dead …

Facebook Fans are a different kind of customer. The have segmented THEMSELVES - because they self-proclaim their endorsement of your brand, your products, your service, and/or your company. Treat them differently.

Over the weekend I was able to participate in a Shamanic attunement for the earth to help balance the rain, fire, and earth energy. We included this ceremony into a longer program of Freedom and Declarations. I will write more about this ceremony in a post later this month. For this week, I want to …

Rigid rules lead to viral video crisis Last month Delta Air Lines took a serious pounding to its already-tattered reputation when a YouTube video which featured shocked home bound soldiers commenting on the $200 fee they were charged for checking extra baggage (which contained government-issue weapons used to fight overseas, by the way) went viral. …

Getting that sales growth is all about keeping your eye on the ball. Just like Novak Djokovic did to win Wimbledon on Sunday. So, the goal is growth. Your company has its strategy in place, and it’s a good one. There is value to customers, beyond competitors’. Once that is defined, it is a matter …

The Wall St. Journal reported today that Western companies including Cisco Systems Inc. have been contracted to build an ambitious new surveillance project in China —a citywide network of as many as 500,000 cameras that officials say will prevent crime but that human- rights advocates warn could target political dissent. Should companies be responsible for …

Have you made decisions that seemed right at the time, but did not turn out the way you expected? In a coaching session with a manager, who was dealing with a setback, I asked what did she learn? She answered honestly and with some regret: “I wanted it to happen so badly that I didn’t …

The trouble with the future is that it usually arrives before we’re ready for it. Careers are evolving. What used to be success yesterday – joining a company or field, staying with it for most of your life and working your way up the ranks – will no longer be success for tomorrow. What will …

This is both a training and a communication topic. A single question this time, but with a big impact and controversy. The question had to come up sooner or later–one that I was afraid I’d have to answer as a trainer and a speaker. Why Toastmasters, a great international organization that helps people learn public …

Probably the most important procedure that the board will undertake is the board meeting. At this meeting members of the board obtain and exchange information from each other and from the executive team, establish the objectives of the organisations, take decisions on courses of action and investments, delegate authority to the management team, and jointly …