“It’s only when the tide goes out that you learn who’s been swimming naked.”
– Warren Buffett

He was considered a legend in his industry.  Wealthy individuals from around the country asked if they could be his clients; many were turned away.  Past chairman of the NASDAQ.  Former board of governors member of the National Association of [...]

“Fear, like joy or curiosity, is contagious among beasts and birds, as it is among men . . . . Animals are afraid on general principles.  Anything new and strange excites their suspicions.  In a herd of animals, cattle or horses, fear quickly becomes a panic and rages like a conflagration.  Cattle men in the [...]

A CEO in New York shared a conundrum with me a few weeks ago. It involved money – the CEO’s compensation, to be specific.

A member of the Board had approached him with a request. A major portion of this Leader’s compensation for the year would come in the form of a stock bonus tied to hitting annual budget targets. At the mid-year mark, it was clear to the Board that the company would not hit the targets. The Board wanted to reward the CEO with the bonus anyway, and they were asking him to provide new (i.e. ‘lower’) targets that he and the company would be sure to hit. The request did not sit well with the CEO.

What guides your significant leadership decisions?

There’s an article titled “Uncovering the Blind Spot of Leadership” in the latest issue of Leader to Leader magazine. Author C. Otto Scharmer writes about four different modes of listening for Leaders. I’ve provided excerpts below.

Those of you who have heard me speak know that I often frame the Leader in four dimensions – Physical, Intellectual, Emotional and Spiritual. Along with Scharmer’s thoughts, I have added my own in the context of which dimensions a Leader listens from . . . .

Think about conversations you’ve already had today.