The Dark Night of the Corporate Soul

The past year proved to be an annus horribilis for Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer that has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. I sympathize with the employees, especially the rank and file. Same with the organizations associated with the brand—except...

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A Boss Is Not a Mother

Your boss is not your mother, father, therapist or friend. So when one senior executive at a technology company told her staff, “I’m not your mum,” she was right. I couldn’t help a chuckle as I read the full story. It sounded to me like she was trying to light a fire...

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Slaves to the Numbers

My early days with Magnatech Drive Products, a past client, were as memorable as they come. I’ll never forget the first time I was given a tour of MDP’s main facility by the CEO and a few senior managers. Walking into the operations “War Room” left an indelible...

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Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast. Hmm … Really?

A comment by an ex-colleague on a LinkedIn post grabbed my attention: “…surely a good strategy and strong leadership drives the culture.” It kind of resonated with me. I intuitively sensed what he meant, though I might have put it differently. It got me thinking all...

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The Soul of the Procurement Organization

Organizations that remain successful over the long term always invest significant resources in nurturing their people capability; because they “get it”—they understand that people are the heartbeat behind organizational performance, so people matter most. Seasoned...

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