Regrettably, it has become a regular occurrence to hear news stories about major retailers either closing down hundreds of locations or shutting down entirely. The most recent example is Toys ‘R’ Us, which announced the total liquidation of both Toys ‘R’ Us and Babies ‘R’ Us properties. According to CNN Money, over 31,000 employees are losing […]

I have participated in and reviewed hundreds of succession planning sessions whose results indicated that there were several qualified leaders ready to step in to most, if not all key positions should they become vacant.  While I have not tracked the data, my belief is that outsiders were brought in more than half of the […]

Picture this: you have an exceptional employee who has proven herself time and time again. She shows an outstanding work ethic, meets all deadlines, and rarely ever uses PTO. You expect great things from her and she always delivers. Then, out of the blue, she announces her resignation. Clearly surprised, you speak with the employees […]

If you feel that you have successfully balanced your work life, family and social and everything that is important to you, stop reading this article.  If you continued reading, you’re like most people who are often totally consumed by work, forcing everything else in your life to take a back seat. This was not a […]

Salesforce’s CEO Marc Benioff has been dubbed “Tech’s Mad Genius” and “The Decade’s Top Innovator” for a reason. Forbes recently published an article about the tech giant’s dynamic leader and his strategy for success. Benioff created Salesforce with the desire to innovate and disrupt an industry that seems to aways been in flux. To enter […]

Having led and advised many companies throughout my career, I noticed that most of them share one trait– they think big. While no one would argue that this characteristic is essential to drive growth, like most things, the devil is in the details. Thinking big usually leads to complex projects, spending lots of money, and […]

One of the most important responsibilities leaders have is to hire great talent. The right people make all the difference for a company’s performance. There is clearly a domino effect, great people tend to hire great people. If you strive to hire the best, your direct reports (the folks you hire) will tend to hire […]

Most leaders are proud of their position and the company itself. After all, they’ve put in the time and effort and now find themselves in a position of leadership. All those fortunate enough to be in a position of management should ask themselves a simple question that will make them look at their team differently: “Are my employees proud of […]

I hate New Year’s resolutions. We all know people who join a gym in January and stop in February. Everyone makes them and no one keeps them, yet every year the cycle continues. I realized this several years ago, and stopped making resolutions. Instead, I decided to choose one thing I could really accomplish in […]

Back when Zappos was just starting to become a household name, I ordered a pair of shoes to give them a try. Not long after my purchase, I received an email that said my shipment was upgraded to “overnight shipping” for free. It wasn’t a joke– my new shoes were at my doorstep within 24 […]