Do values count for anything, given the way marketers, spin doctors and leaders misunderstand and misuse them? Too many of today’s self-proclaimed leaders have shown themselves to be authoritarian, deceitful, dishonest and manipulative, despite all their talk of values. Values are not there as tools to be used to lead people by the nose. They are who you are. Behavior is driven by values. Whenever you do something “because it’s right” you’re acting on your values. Ethics are values. That’s why they matter.

We’re stuck with the myth of the leader as action hero. It’s time we put it aside in favor of a more thoughtful approach. Failure to do so will condemn us to repeat recent cycles of boom and bust.

Humankind has an innate need to make sense of events: to fit them into some known pattern [...]

What happens when simple over-confidence leads to a nightmare of tension and lies?

There’s a reasonable belief that a healthy dose of self-esteem is necessary in a leader; that a person placed in charge of important activities needs to be courageous in facing problems and confident in his or her ability to overcome problems and obstacles. [...]

Let’s be clear. Motivation is nothing more than finding ways to get other people to do what you want; what, in many cases, they’re paid to do anyway. It isn’t mysterious. It’s not some obscure, magic art. People do what they feel they ought to do — just as long as they are clear about [...]

Slowing down isn’t about giving things up. It’s making time first for the things in your life that matter most

Zen Habits has an excellent post on making time in your life for your personal needs and goals.
In our action-obsessed, “get it done” culture, it’s all too easy to become convinced that the more goals you [...]

Perhaps, by seeking endless youth, we’re missing the benefits of maturity

In the natural world, growth is never endless. Things begin, grow, mature, fade, and die. Why should we imagine that our human constructions like corporations and careers should be exempt from this universal law?
Many people are attracted to the benefits of a more “natural” [...]

Why egotism is fatal to good leadership — and why it is so common today

“To have without possessing,
do without claiming,
lead without controlling;
this is mysterious power.”
Tao Te Ching, Lau Tzu (tr. Ursula K. Le Guin)
Egotism causes blindness, selfishness, over-confidence, and arrogance.
It inflates people into domineering monsters focused on petty personal victories. It wrecks relationships. [...]

When things get rough — as now — beware of cowards, mixed messages, and macho managers

Tough times sort out the true leaders from those who wear the clothes but have nothing beneath them. Leaders lead; mere administrators, whatever their job titles, panic. Worst of all, fair-weather bosses infected by Hamburger Management send people mixed messages. [...]

Opening your mind and closing your mouth will pay big dividends

There’s a common saying that human beings were given two ears (and two eyes), but only one mouth to show that they should listen (and look) at least twice as much as they speak. To be successful as a manager and leader that ratio is [...]

Impatience merely wears people out and induces yet more stress

Events in our lives and our businesses are much like rivers. They flow at their own pace, depending on the geography of the circumstances. Sometimes they sweep us along in a torrent and we feel close to drowning; at other times, their progress is agonizingly [...]