Last night I stood third row from the stage to witness the guitar genius of Plini. His intricate, effortless playing is a wonder to behold, fingers moving effortlessly to create incredible jazz-rocksoundscapes. He launched right into his first number and continued through four songs before approaching the microphone. We had...
Star Power: How The Hulk Made Me Work Harder
Last week I surprised my daughter with a trip to ComicCon for her birthday. We had a blast taking in all the costumes, browsing the artistry and had our caricatures drawn (She-Ra and He-Man!). In a rare moment wandering through endless vendor booths and stage areas, the sea of people parted...
People Don’t Resist Change, They Resist YOU. How to Build a Change Trust
"People are just not engaging with this initiative!" Clients come to me for solutions to get people moving in line with their strategy. They've communicated the direction but the uptake is zero. Nothing has changed. Here's why: A. Lack of knowledge - The target is not clearly understood or why...
Don’t Compete. Differentiate.
I was dining with a friend enjoying a delicious plate of fish and chips at a popular restaurant in Toronto and he asked me how one diner could succeed over another? Great question when so many small businesses - particularly restaurants - fail every year. The most obvious tactic to...
Influence. You’ve got it. Now What?
Cheryl Bachelder is an extraordinary leader. While CEO at Popeyes, Cheryl led the franchise to new heights, growing market cap from less than $300 million to over $1.3 billion. As Ms. Bachelder drive higher performance and success, employees paid ever-closer attention to all she said and did. One of the...
The last thing your organization needs is a rest right now
"Well Jeff, we'd like to bring you in to help us develop our leaders further, but we just put completed a change in our reporting structure and want to give the company a rest before we consider something new." After a major change like restructuring, a new product launch, or...
Employees Are Your Worst Asset
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...
