We all want to be the most effective ethical leaders that we can be. However, one thing that can hold us back is that . . . . . we are human. That’s right, admit it – you are. As humans, we are subject to cognitive biases as we make ethical decisions. Understanding these biases and watching out for them can help you achieve your goal of being an ethical leader. Here are … [Read more...] about Avoiding Ethical Traps
Culture
Ambitious Goals and Wells Fargo
In recent years, some researchers* have suggested that setting goals – especially ambitious goals – can increase the possibility of individuals taking unethical actions to accomplish those goals. The recent revelations about practices at Wells Fargo quickly come to mind. For those not following closely, here are the highlights – or lowlights. *Regulators found that the … [Read more...] about Ambitious Goals and Wells Fargo
Building Your Bench
Staff turnover is a fact of life – as much as you might want to use your wishful thinking to make it go away. Once you have accepted that fact of life – now it is time to prepare for it. Here are some things you can do to be prepared to successfully navigate the departure of key staff: *Identify possible successors – internally and externally. Even if your organization … [Read more...] about Building Your Bench
“Do More with Less???”
Can we find out who invented that phrase? – “Do More with Less.” How crazy! I want to have a talk with him. (I am sure it was a him.) Don’t get me wrong – I am all in favor of efficiency. And, if in pursuit of a new process to accomplish a goal you end up inventing a way to do more with less, then great. Even setting that as an inspiring goal could be a super idea. But … [Read more...] about “Do More with Less???”
Good vs. Great
One of the primary roles of a leader is to focus their team or organization on the most important goals and issues that will lead to high performance. This is no small feat. It requires strategic thinking and great discipline. Any organization has many improvements it "could" make in its operations. But there is only so much time and are only so many resources. Leaders … [Read more...] about Good vs. Great