Servant Leadership & Technology
Passion is exciting. People follow passionate leaders faster than somber managers. In “It’s Not About the Coffee,” former Starbucks president, Howard Behar explains he left the last company he worked for before Starbucks, because the CEO sought to restrain his passion. At Starbucks, Behar explains, his passion was an asset, not a liability. Obviously, passion [...]
“This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill – the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill – you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.” – [...]
You know that feeling: you just don’t feel right about a decision. Here’s a simple leadership test to validate the decision: does it seek to serve or control your stakeholders? Naturally, you’d never seek to control control your customer, investor or employees, you say. But wait, there are nuances to these differences that may surprise [...]
The cause of the 34 minute Blackout during Super Bowl XLVII at the Superdome in New Orleans is still unconfirmed, as of this writing. However, there are already lessons for leaders to take away. Here are 4 leadership lessons from the Super Bowl blackout: 1. Failures May Occur Even with the Best Planning Months before [...]
Below is a new, recently discovered letter from the infamous Screwtape demon. If you’re unfamiliar with Screwtape, read the background at the end of this post. My Dear Wormwood, It displeases me that I must continually educate you on the most basic principles of conversion. Your last letter suggested uneasiness at learning that your patient [...]
Want to be a great leader? Then stop thinking about your leadership. Do you think Abraham Lincoln thought often about how he could be remembered as one of America’s greatest presidents? Was it his desire for leadership dominance that drove Martin Luther King Jr? Did Jesus of Nazareth ponder, “how can I be remembered for [...]
A stakeholder is anyone with a vested interest in your organization and leadership. Too often, leaders make decisions without considering all stakeholders. The for-profit sector focuses too much on investors. Nonprofits focus too much on their clients. Politicians often focus on their own constituents at the exclusion of others. As a leader in your organization, you [...]
There are plenty of horror story compilations on ghosts, goblins and monsters, but what about all those leadership horror stories? Here are some of the greatest Leadership Horrors of all time: Headless Horseman In The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the headless horseman is the ghost of a decapitated soldier who seeks his head and [...]
I’m a social media advocate, in part because it demands greater leadership. That said, there’s really nothing new about social media itself. Here are 2 examples of social media from history, going all the way back to prehistoric man. Cave Drawings What you see here is one of the earliest documented forms of media. These [...]
Calm is critical in leadership – particularly in a crisis. When an entire organization is dependent upon your products and services for routine daily operation, a brief outage can spell disaster. Such is the case for technology leaders. I’ve managed some doozies in my time: a 3 day virus outbreak, potential hacker breaches, critical administrative [...]
