As leaders I think we all find our teams besieged by fires at one point in

time or another.  Sometimes it seems they’re simply building one atop another

and, unless you can do something, you risk being over run…your core mission

compromised.

In a corporate environment the fires can seem to come at your team from every direction.  The President pulls on your strings, Sales is pulling on Development, Projects demand ECOs…

Been traveling some…and find there’re still some basics

that business hotels need to improve on.  I’m sure you have your ‘favorites’ as well.

So here are ‘my’ 5 Basics Hotels Still Need to Master

• Easy check-in
• Available room service
• Quick check-out
• WiFi
• Decent restaurant for breakfast meetings

Check-In:

Since many hotels…

“The B2B Executive Playbook”

by: Sean Geehan

ISBN: 1-57860-446-X

ISBN-13:

978-1-57860-446-3

First and foremost, The B2B Executive Playbook really resonated well with me.  With two decades in the software industry, most of that time in customer-facing roles, it validated much of my own experience and thoughts.

Think of B2B as a complement to…

This morning I gave a presentation related to product management.  I enjoy giving this particular presentation as we explore topics like: product roadmaps; business plan; target markets, and managing scope (feature creep).

In discussing target markets, and knowing your customer, I use one slide in which I suggest they ask their customers, “What keeps you up at night?”

One of…

i “Car Guys vs. Bean Counters – The Battle for the Soul of American Business”

By: Bob Lutz

eISBN: 978-1-101-51602-7

With over almost 5 decades in the automotive industry, Bob narrates the industry’s history using a flair only he has. He not only walks readers through history, but gives us a first-hand…

The problem with the Truth is that it can change.

Not too long ago, a few of us were in a spirited discussion about Truth and Facts; the two sometimes used interchangeably or synonymously.

One group took the position that Truth was an absolute. Unchanging, unyielding, definitive, and unquestionable. If…

“The Elephant In The Room”

By: Diana M. Smith

ISBN: 978-1-118-01542-1

Thoughtful business leadership requires skill in a great many areas. As we progress, we practice continually, learning and then succeeding each step along the way. One of the most important areas we need to succeed in, yet seems often ignored or overlooked, is relationships.

The Elephant in the Room is an excellent…

I came across this well-written parable today, “Let the Rabbits Run.” I encourage you to take a minute and read it.

Ok, if you didn’t, the gist is a discussion of how we spend so much of our lives, focused on what we’re not so good at, at the expense of what we excel at.

There have almost certainly been times where both you and I could relate.

Last night, coincidentally, I also just watched Company Men. It’s a…

This past month, I had the opportunity to do some software consulting.  It was an interesting environment.  Everything was a swirl of chaos, panicked surprise deadlines, and daily crises.  During one meeting, responding to the latest short-cycle deliverable, one person commented, “…we never have time to do things properly.  Are we going to have time to do this one right…?”

The longer I spent with the organization, the…

For a long time, I have felt strongly that every American should spend time living abroad (at least 6 months).  Why? To give each person the ability to think beyond their own existence, to truly appreciate just how different, how varied our world can be.  And, in the case of leaders, the ability to more readily appreciate competitive concerns, issues of cultural acceptance, as well as otherwise unseen risk.

As Americans, we have long seen ourselves as free, progressive, and…

Around the nation, gasoline prices at the pump are again climbing—and at a pretty good clip, too.  So it’s not uncommon to hear people begin to wonder again, How high will it go?

From my perspective, there is a silver lining to higher fuel prices.  As transportation costs go up (bad for our truckers), the harder it is to continue off-shoring manufacturing labor.  I remember in 2008 seeing ABC News reports of furniture…