On my first job at TD Bank I complained about unethical practices of Rita. She was dodging established procedures when approving mortgages, creating risk for the bank. The branch manager called her on it, revealing me as the source. I'll never forget looking up from my desk into Rita's angry...
Looking in all the Wrong Places? Ten Ways to Avoid Strategic Disaster
Watching professional sports reveals that players move, skate and dribble with their heads up to anticipate the next play and keep an eye on the goal and incoming threats. Focusing solely on the puck or ball invites someone else to clobber you into next week. Successful organizations have a tendency...
Communication as Strategy Pt 2: Two Paths for Timing
This is the second in a series on Leader Communications. It took mere hours for employees to leak memos to the public showing that some Tim Hortons locations were making employees fund their own benefits after a government-mandated minimum wage increase took effect. #NoTimmiesTuesday immediately caught fire, punishing big bad franchises with...
Get Them on Course: The Five Signals of Leaders Who Lead
I'll never forget my first year with IBM when, after reinforcing the importance of work-life balance, a VP stood up in front of the entire Canadian organization and related how she often worked long hours, including "during her daughter's birthday party." Oh dear. Every leader wants to inspire their people...
