I first heard the term Prince to Pig several years ago, when I had the chance to be part of a conversation with Jack Welch, who at the time was the superstar CEO of GE. I recall a few of the other comments he made, but that expression stuck with me. It still pops up [Read More]
The Impact of Encouragement
December 4, 2015 by Leave a Comment
For nearly thirty years, my work has been devoted to helping people become better at this thing called leadership. One of the major sources of my passion around this work comes from the research and writing of Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner. Their names are very familiar in the field of leadership development as they [Read More]
A Lesson in Caring
February 2, 2015 by 2 Comments
Last month, a childhood friend passed away. The announcement of his passing was not totally unexpected, as he had defied those odds for years. For you see, a diving accident when he was a 15 year old star athlete had left him a quadriplegic. He remained wheelchair bound the remaining 45 years of his life. [Read More]
Blinded to the Facts
December 1, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Like many, I have been interested in the circumstances in Ferguson, MO. Like most, I could not take an oath about what really happened, because everything I know about it, is at least second hand. Yet it seems that an enormous number of people seem to believe they do know the whole truth of the [Read More]
Reflections of The Leadership Challenge Forum 2014
June 26, 2014 by 3 Comments
After attending this year’s annual conference, I wanted to share some highlights and personal reflections about it. Research about and application of The Five Practices remains vibrant and growing. Here we go. 1. The focus on this year’s conference was related to the practice of Challenge The Process. Recognizing, confronting and overcoming adversity were clearly [Read More]
The Irony of Accountability
March 1, 2014 by 2 Comments
Not long ago, I was working with a senior team, in a session being held at a country club. Most golf clubs try very hard to provide a top-notch client experience, and this one was no different. Our past experiences there have always been terrific. Breakfast was scheduled for 8:00, and everyone was going to fill [Read More]
Reflections From The Leadership Challenge Forum 2013
August 4, 2013 by 2 Comments
The Leadership Challenge Forum 2013, the annual conference for students, practitioners and others excited about this proven methodology, was held during the last week of July. The Forum theme was Inspire A Shared Vision, based on one of the Five Practices, described in The Leadership Challenge. Here are some reflections about the conference which I [Read More]
A Red Letter Day
May 15, 2013 by 3 Comments
April 25th was a red letter day for me, because I got to meet Brennen. Let me provide a little background before introducing you to him. As many of you know, we conduct The Leadership Challenge® Workshop at a unique outdoor education facility just outside of Cincinnati. It is called Camp Joy, and camp is [Read More]
Another Reason for Caring
January 29, 2013 by Leave a Comment
A recent conversation with a friend and colleague led to an interesting convergence of thoughts. The first item we discussed related to a recurring and rather distressing item. Today, it is easy to find examples of people or companies engaged in deceit or fraud. Whether it is Lance Armstrong finally fessing up, investment companies using [Read More]
The Lamplighter
December 20, 2012 by 3 Comments
Throughout our years of leadership development work, we have been privileged to meet and get to know a lot of wonderful people. One of our many friends and fellow Leadership Challenge travelers, Roy Yarbrough, sent us the following, as he announced his retirement from his current position. My guess is he will never retire from [Read More]
