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“Failure is not an option” is now a common phrase. It became so as a result of the 1995 movie Apollo 13, the title of Gene Kranz’s 2000 autobiography, and other media presentations. It characterizes the “can do” attitude of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) early years.

The phrase has also became popular in business, as often happens with catchy phrases that seem to ooze wisdom.

Yet using the phrase can actually be dangerous … “failure is not an option” can be terrific or it can be toxic, actually producing failure.

[Read more…] about “Failure is Not an Option” Produces Failure

Do you want your business to fail as leaders change over time?  Most people would quickly answer “no,” but business actions say the opposite.  And doing the opposite is leaving your business future to chance.

Planning for leadership change is vital to future success.  Some businesses like GE have legendary succession planning, and more businesses have processes in place for CEO succession.  However, most businesses do not have much in the way of succession planning for other key positions.

Even if there is some level of succession planning, it is often just knowing who is available “right now” if a leader needs replacement.  This misses the second key element of effective succession:  building and maintaining a leadership “pipeline” that supplies great leadership candidates over time.  The pipeline essentially provides the “fuel” that enables the succession “engine” to work.

There is no “best answer” for building a leadership pipeline.  What each business needs depends on the particular business situation.  This article provides some starting points for building the best pipeline for your business.

[Read more…] about Why and How to Build An Effective Leadership Pipeline

The last insight, What is Agile Leadership?, noted that leaders are looking for ways to deal with relentless market change. Uncertainty bred by terrorism, major political changes like Brexit and the new Trump administration in the U.S., and shifting regulatory landscapes only adds to massive change pressures.

Leader’s interest is expanding rapidly in business agility, agile, lean startup, and variations as possible answers.  The natural question that arises for leaders is:

What is “agile leadership” … how can leaders be agile and lead agility?

The simple answer:

Agile leadership is good leadership with a “wrong until right” mindset.

 

That begged the next question for leaders and the subject of this insight:

How do I become a better agile leader? [Read more…] about How to Become an Agile Leader

Leaders are looking for ways to deal with relentless market change.  Uncertainty bred by terrorism, major political changes like Brexit and the new Trump administration in the U.S., and shifting regulatory landscapes only adds to massive change pressures.

How can leaders navigate through the storms of change? Interest is expanding rapidly in business agility, agile, lean startup, and variations as possible answers.  Early focus in these areas was on product processes and smaller entities like teams or startups.

As focus spreads to larger entities and entire companies, a natural question is: what is “agile leadership”? How can leaders both be agile examples themselves and lead toward agility?

There is a simple answer.

[Read more…] about What is Agile Leadership?

Are things going according to this year’s original plan?

If your answer is “yes” …

Congratulations!  You have fared better than most. Most companies are in markets that have caused turbulence for the original plan.

However, a warning:  are you sure there are no changes needed to the plan?  If your company is in a changing market, following the original plan on cruise control is dangerous … like driving on cruise control with blinders on. Make sure you are leading with your eyes open.

If your answer is “no” …
[Read more…] about One Month in – Is Your 2017 Plan Working?

Effective management can make or break a business.

The bad news:  effective managers are much rarer than we think.

The good news:  you can become a better manager.

How do you rank against the alarming statistics below?

[Read more…] about Warning: Do You Make These Management Mistakes?