The Hidden Dangers of Playing It Safe

Originally published October 22, 2013 on Harvard Business Review by Doug Sundheim Last year Dina, a CEO I’d been working with, felt that leaders on her team were playing it too safe.  They weren’t finding and pursuing new growth opportunities and it was crippling the organization.  She kicked off her October management team meeting, which…

I’m Angry and Embarrassed by the US Government’s Behavior

Reading the papers this morning, I found myself seething about what is going on in Washington. With such dire consequences on the line, how did we get to this place where grown adults can’t get into a room and iron something out? I wanted to jump on a train to Washington, go to the Capitol,…

Closing the Chasm Between Strategy and Execution

Originally published August 22, 2013 on Harvard Business Review by Doug Sundheim Setting strategy is elegant. It’s a clean and sophisticated process of collecting and analyzing data, generating insights, and identifying smart paths forward. Done at arm’s length in an academic fashion, tight logic is the only glue needed to hold ideas together. The output…

Good Leaders Get Emotional

Originally published August 15, 2013 on Harvard Business Review by Doug Sundheim Much of what comes out of people’s mouths in business these days is sugar-coated, couched, and polished. The messages are manufactured, trying to strike just the right tone. Genuine emotion stands in stark contrast. It’s a real person sharing a real feeling. When…

There’s More To Goal Setting Than Making Them SMART

The following was originally posted on TanveerNaseer.com. When I talk to clients about effective goal setting someone invariably mentions that good goals are SMART goals – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound. I agree these are critically important to strengthening goals. But they’re not the whole story. They don’t tell you how an individual…

Trust Me, It’s Possible

Your big idea.  In the beginning it feels impossible.  On one hand, you know that can’t be true.  Very few ideas are actually impossible.  But on the other hand it doesn’t really seem possible either.  It seems so unclear.  So far away.  So hard.  So foreign.  It can paralyze you. I’ve been there.  It’s a…

An Open Letter to Retail Stores – You Need to Serve People to Survive

Dear Retailers, Where are all the sales people who actually serve people? Where are all the people who look beyond the value of a single transaction—and instead make it their job to become experts and build relationships?  That’s what hooks a buyer, has them believe in you, has them buy from you, has them come…

You Go First: How Corporate Culture Really Changes

Most efforts to change corporate cultures are an utter waste of time, energy and money.  There’s always a clever framework full of boxes and lines along with a sharp person who can expertly explain how they all connect.  Data is gathered for each, and plans for change are created.  It all sounds undeniably smart. Then it…