Ideas that Matter

The Idea: Psychologist Robert Hogan claims that 60-75 percent of managers are poor or even incompetent leaders. A recent Gallup poll supports this claim, stating that companies fail to choose the right candidate for the job 82 percent of the time. Most organizations prop up dysfunctional business practices and insecure leaders, damaging the fabric of the culture. A high percentage of leaders are not as... read more

The Idea: Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, recently stated: “Despite all this rapid change in the computing industry, we are still at the beginning of the digital revolution.” The revolution has only just begun. We all look for certainty in an increasingly uncertain world and we... read more

The longer the meeting, the less is accomplished.   – Tim Cook The Idea: As the world turned off their televisions this week following President Trump’s address from the Oval Office, writer Adam Sneed described it via tweet as “the national political equivalent of a meeting... read more

The Idea: Most presentations lack a story. Ironically, those who have the most information – analysts, creatives or researchers – often do the least with it. Presentations become littered with too many charts, unconnected ideas and irrelevancy. Sadly, most people in the room don’t let on that they are not interested or are getting bored. And it’s not their fault. The brain... read more

The Idea: The more power one possesses, the more deceived one becomes. Title, influence, and status can leave you in a bubble, vulnerable to losing touch. Our own insecurities amplify our susceptibility to manipulation, defensiveness, and bad decisions. The poisons of power can sneak up on all of us.    Many of today’s most interesting organizations are digitally native and boundaryless leaving their traditional competitors in a... read more

The Idea: The interesting thing about a lie is that most people can see right through it. When I am confronted with someone who spins the truth, misleads, or outright lies to my face, it’s disturbing, and yet it is rarely called out. If one believes Donald Trump, omission of... read more

The Idea: Einstein once quipped, “If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on the solution, I would spend the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask, for once I know the proper question, I... read more

The idea: A few weeks ago, I received an email from someone I had not spoken to in many years. This person was only an acquaintance, but they reached out to me stating, “It’s time to talk because I have a new business venture you need to be a part... read more

The Idea: Many of today’s most compelling companies don’t just sell products, they create emotionally connected relationships with their customers. These exceptional brands do two things very well: they design radically empathetic products or foster truly transparent relationships with their customers. They are also adept at uncovering and solving problems customers may not even be aware of yet. Everyone wants to be respected and admired, yet there is deep value in likeability. Companies that are... read more

The Idea: A couple of weeks ago we watched the Green Bay Packer’s Aaron Rodgers limp out of the locker room at halftime, after leaving the game because of a crushing hit from Chicago’s reinvigorated defense. The Packers were losing by 20 points when Rodgers returned with one good leg, and ninety minutes later, the Packers... read more