Organizations

I just read sad and shocking news in GIGAOM. Former France Telecom chief executive Didier Lombard has been indicted by a court in Paris over allegations that he led a corporate culture of bullying and harassment that resulted in the suicide of at least 30 employees.

It made me think. Are leaders consciously aware that the cultures they create can bring life, joy, and healthy productivity or unhealthy negativity, lack of engagement, and even death?

I would like to think that Mr. Lombard did not set out to create a culture of death. But he failed to see how bullying and harassment could result in a high toll of suicides. What is even sadder is that he failed to grasp that creating a different kind of culture not only could have prevented many of those deaths, but could have also create . . . Continue reading »

Many things happen in the workday of an organization. Leaders have the power to affect progress and nourish employee’s motivation and engagement. After all, employee engagement is what drives the bottom line. How can you make a difference in the performance of the people that report to you?

The answer is so common place and simple that only 5 % of leaders recognize it. Continue reading »

Sometime in the 1500s, an English poet named Robert Herrick used the phrase “no pain, no gain” in his writings. He was conveying the idea that if you don’t work really hard at something, you won’t benefit from it. A good, noble phrase from a well-respected poet of his day.

But does it still apply today? Continue reading »