Check out Hans Rosling's TED talk, "Let My Dataset Change Your Mindset" and let it help you limber up your mindset. Each of us have views, opinions, and perspectives on just about everything. Our opinions and perspectives are driven by our mindset, something that rarely creeps out of our subconscious. As leaders, if our mindset is wrong, then our gut instincts will be wrong, we will misinterpret the data we see, and likely misjudge the people and situations we find ourselves in.
Read MoreStrategy is a business management term we use all the time, yet many struggle to crisply define what it means. In my work, I help organizations create roadmaps for success. An effective mission, strategy or business model (I think they are the same thing), and action plan are a critical parts of this roadmap.
A great strategy answers the question...
Read MoreThis is one of my favorite TED talks of all time. Brené Brown does a fabulous job of walking the talk at TED. Being vulnerable when most of us would be incapable of doing so. Go Brené!
Read MoreThe title of this video is Revelation, a Visual Poem and it is a beautiful reminder that true happiness and joy come when we pursue our purpose with passion... in other words, as we find and follow our line.
Read MoreA New York Times/CBS News poll from more than decade ago, publicized that 63% of people interviewed believe you “can't be too careful” dealing with most people. According to more recent Maritz Research poll, only 7% of employees trust senior leaders to look out for their best interests and 25% do not trust management to make the right decisions in times of uncertainty.
Trust in business leaders is already low and still falling.
Read MoreNancy Duarte's mission is to turn presentations into a powerful communication medium. She is the CEO of Duarte Design, the company that helped Al Gore create the dynamic presentation he used in the movie, An Inconvenient Truth. They have also been instrumental in the compelling presentations from water.org.
Read MoreStrong leaders have long known that leading doesn't start with actions, or even thoughts. Instead, it starts with what leaders believe. Covey calls these beliefs our moral compass. Peter Senge calls them mental models. They are the lens through which we view the world. They influence how we perceive and respond to all that happens.
These beliefs are not corporate values we aspire to, but instead the principles that determine what we think, say, and do. I often think of Enron, and their corporate values of communication, respect, integrity, and excellence. For them and many others, their values represent things that they were have the most difficult time doing.
So what do great leaders believe? What mental models guide them? Here are five principles I consistently see great leaders believe in and act on.
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