Gumption

Organizations, teams and, people rise and fall based on the conversations they have and don’t have. Our blog is about saying things that have to be said and about helping people says what’s needed.

Presents of a Leader: A Picture of Shared Vision

I’m an impressionist or maybe an abstractionist. I think and speak in broad, abstract terms. That can be quite good for stirring the imagination, inspiring people, and moving them in the right general direction. There is a time for that, but there is often a greater need for realists like Bob Byerley who gave us vivid, lifelike art.1  that comes to life before our eyes. Like artists, leaders paint inspiring vivid pictures that captivate and energize people, but unlike artists, leaders empower people for success with their vivid images. While there is a broad range of subjects for leaders to portray, there are five essentials messages for leaders to master: vision, success, strategy, role, and personal potential.  In this post, I will share some practical tips for painting […]

I’m Losing Money, Now What?

For most of us, revenue is in the tank and we don’t know what is coming. So, we are certain that our economic situation is bleak and uncertain about everything else. That is leaving a lot of people dancing awkwardly on the verge of panic.

Leadership Present: Purpose

Without meaningful work, we sense significant loss and emptiness. People who are cut off from work because of physical, or other reasons, quickly discover how much they need work to thrive emotionally, physically, and spiritually.~ Timothy Keller I’ve met a lot of people who insist that they only work because they HAVE to earn a living, but that’s not true. People work because they need to work. We are meant to work. It gives us purpose. It gives us meaning in life.  In the final years of his life, my father lamented that he was “useless.” He wanted to be productive— to be of help to other people— and it depressed him that he wasn’t. My father was not alone. A lot of people suffer through jobs that […]

Who is Accountable?

There has been a lot of talk about “Accountability” in society and in organizations for the past twenty years. In my clients’ companies, leaders and staff often lament over the lack of accountability in their organizations. So, it seems that something is amiss. But what is it? I’ve never encountered a vexing problem that was rooted in a single cause, so I won’t pretend to have a simple explanation. I am confidant however that I have eyes to see that many people are operating under a gross misunderstanding of “accountability.”  People talk of “holding others accountable,” but no one, except for God, can hold a person accountable. Rather, people voluntarily submit to accountability. That begs the question: Who would voluntarily submit to you and under what circumstances? Hidden […]

Five Presents From a Leader

It’s often said that leaders are givers – not takers. Though most of us would reflexively endorse the sentiment, we should ask, “Just what do leaders give?” The short answer is that they give a lot, and that is pretty much what makes them leaders.

In this post, I introduce the Five Presents from a Leader, and the in the next five I will explain each one and provide practical tips and tools for how you can give them.

How Adam Got Engaged

Few companies have found the holy grail of management: High Employee Engagement. In the average company, about 32 percent of employees are actively engaged in their work, and about 20 percent actively disrupt operations. But for those who figure it out, the rewards are unmistakable. Companies who score

The Google Boogle: Diversity without Difference

Google is back in the headlines for botching its diversity initiatives. I expect that they will be there for a long time. That’s because their thinking is all “boogled” up. In August, James Damore’s screed on Google’s botched diversity efforts went viral. Soon thereafter, he was fired

Not the Creative Type? How Then Will You keep Up?

Oh no, not me; I’m not really the creative type. I meet people who say they aren’t that sort of person – you know the “creative type,” and I get concerned for them. As I look around, I see that our economy favors people and businesses who see problems in new ways

New Presentation Skills Program for Leaders

There is no ceiling on the communication skills leaders need. No matter how good you are, better is always better. No matter what your position, more skills for communicating in various situations will make you a better leader. Still some communication skills become critical at different levels of leadership responsibility. Regrettably, most people enter management with little formal education in the communication disciplines, and fewer still find time in their busy schedules fill those gaps in their training. This is one the reason why “communication problems” is identified as one of the root causes of virtually every assessment of organizational dysfunction. Because Credo is committed to helping its clients build healthy and production teams, we offer several workshops that help leaders strengthen their communication and the organization. Each […]

Running Into Angry Arms

Have you noticed that the presidential race is fueled by anger? Tuesday was primary election day in Maryland, and I voted for a losing candidate. He isn’t angry about the right things for enough people. People of all stripes feel that their rights are being violated and declare, “it’s ‘s not fair!” It’s difficult to be angry about the same things as everyone else because people are mostly angry with others who are angry with them. Frustration, anger, and bitterness know no bounds.  We all carry and nourish them everywhere we go—home, work, and to the ballpark, and it is easy to see the havoc they wreak. Somehow we have deluded ourselves into believing that politicians are responsible for and capable of making life fair and for ensuring […]

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