Every boxer has a plan until they get punched in the mouth, Mike Tyson said. And yet the information in that first, nearly unavoidable punch is invaluable as a guide to a revised plan and our next actions—in the boxing ring or anywhere else. My favorite perspective in this arena comes from Robert Burgelman*, the [...]
As the people of Intel honor and thank Andy Bryant as he retires as the company’s chairman, I suspect many of them are already missing their periodic access to his insights and counsel—about the company and its direction, about industries and their dynamics, or about their own roles, contributions and careers. Because no leader was [...]
This epiphany occurred, like they always do, by accident. Recently I was writing one of those nudge/pitch emails to a longtime colleague I respect and like, gently following up on a previous exchange about possible collaboration. It happens that I’d just had a separate exchange with another longtime colleague, one whose talent and resume always [...]
We can assume that Special Counsel Robert Mueller was happy with the text of the report released last week—or as happy as one gets with such an undertaking. As a document, it is a clean, professional product worthy of Mueller’s reputation as a serious-minded public servant. But could the report have been clearer? Could a [...]
Leaders have always had plenty to worry about, and each era’s leaders tend to feel that “today’s pressing questions” are more pressing than those of times past. Still, there’s good reason to feel compassion for today’s leaders: their 21st-century worries include skills, talent, diversity, artificial intelligence, trade, class, climate, trust—in addition to the enduring stressors of product [...]
In this season of gift-giving, here are my wishful offerings to those who, for various reasons, might need them now: For the “Lean-In” followers of Sheryl Sandberg: Persistence. Don’t let your understandable disillusionment with the Facebook executive diminish the useful power of her original message. Facebook’s loose-privacy maneuvering and posturing have been shameful, but it’s been [...]
Are you an internal communications professional who aspires to do great things for your company and its employees? Then wrap your hands around the wonderful gift that is “The Next Level: The Business Value of Good Internal Communication”—and wrap your head around its insights and recommendations. It’s a great opportunity: Study the report, assess your situation, inject [...]
Here is a letter that I wish Serena Williams, as a leader, would write to the tennis world. US Open Winner Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams (photos: Lev Radin and Leonard Zhukovsky, Shutterstock.com). Naomi Osaka beat me in the US Open finals with her shots and her poise, and I’m looking forward to [...]
One of my favorite memories of Intel is a bumper sticker that read, “My Dad is a ‘successful/equal’ at Intel”—a joking April Fool’s Day reference to the most typical rating given at that time in the company’s yearly performance reviews. That common rating said, in essence, that you were successfully doing what was expected of you [...]
A plumbing company’s billboard in Roanoke, Va., gave me a powerful reminder of just what the right message can do in recruiting. It would have stopped me in my tracks if I hadn’t been driving at 50 mph. But that didn’t matter, because the message was unforgettable. It read: “Have humility, drive, & communications skills? [...]
