Yesterday I attended a CIO Summit, put on by the Society for Information Management (SIM) in New York City.  My attendance was prompted by the topic of IT leadership, which was covered in several breakout sessions and by the keynote speakers. It was gratifying to hear senior technology executives say they recognize what they need...Read More

Another great interview about doing the job you were meant to do was in yesterday’s New York Times Business section:  “Sometimes, You Need to Blow the Fuses.”  Bill Kling, founder and president emeritus of American Public Media, said you have to follow your instincts, when asked what he would want to teach business school students....Read More

Achieving your highest performance means doing what you never considered possible.  Metaphorically, according to Ana Dutra, CEO of Korn/Ferry Leadership and Talent Consulting in “Sprinkles of Pixie Dust” in The New York Times of December 11, 2011, ‘…all executives have ambition, but don’t believe they can fly.’ I believe it is the responsibility of managers...Read More

Daniel Goleman‘s “Transforming Leadership from Art to Science” describes six leadership styles:  Visionary, Coaching, Affiliative, Democratic, Pacesetting, and Commanding.  Of these, the last two are to be used sparingly and only when appropriate. In the New York Times of December 11, 2011, there was an article about Daniel F. Akerson, General Motors’s chief executive officer,...Read More

Before I’ve mentioned how much I enjoy the ‘Corner Office’ section of the Sunday New York Times.  The leaders profiled are well-selected and there’s something new to be learned each week.  Most of all, I find what is said is natural, sensible, clear, and so obvious you wonder how many leaders miss these basics.  The...Read More

A  big question faced by the three major organizations I worked for concerned the career path of technologists.  Would remaining a ‘technologist’ hurt a career?  How could technologists make the move from being a technologist to being a technology manager?  And, how could they transition from technology and/or technology management to business management?  Anyone who...Read More

Back in 2007 William Ury published The Power of a Positive No.   Ury at the time was best known for co-writing Getting to Yes:  Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In.   I am writing today about his 2007 work because I sense among my friends and colleagues that they cannot say ‘no’ to anyone about anything, putting...Read More