Can leaders be too collaborative?

Can collaboration can go too far? Is there an arc to the effectiveness of collaboration, where at some point, collaboration begins losing its effectiveness? This kind of seems ridiculous to write. Of course we should collaborate. Teams are necessary in today’s ever-changing world. Collaboration is necessary for innovation. There’s no ‘I’ in team (on an … Continue reading Can leaders be too collaborative? →

Org. Design and Social Networks

Hierarchies rely on job titles to command the attention of others. Social networks thrive on the social ingenuity and influence of the individual people in the network. Intuitive 21st Century organizational designs will allow this inevitable influence to happen and reward those who thrive on it, not punish them. In many organizations, bypassing structures to … Continue reading Org. Design and Social Networks →

Creativity and Leadership

Creativity starts with humility. It starts with saying "I don't know the answer". The resulting journey to find that answer most times results in creative solutions. Creativity stops when we think we know everything and no longer become sojourners on a journey of inquisitiveness. It also stops when our teams become unbalanced because of homogenous … Continue reading Creativity and Leadership →

Alliance Leadership

I came across an interesting comment recently: "Firms need to think more strategically about developing not just managers or global managers, but alliance managers, as they will run the companies of the future" (Isabella & Spekman, 2001, p.240). Isabella & Spekman write about the importance of alliances in the 21st Century, and how leading in … Continue reading Alliance Leadership →

Global Values. Do (should) they Exist?

I've read a few books lately that debate the existence of universal global core values. Okay, debate is the wrong word, because I might be the only readers of these books, but it is an interesting issue to think about as our world continues to globalize, especially as a Christian. As we globalize our cultures, … Continue reading Global Values. Do (should) they Exist? →

The beautiful Intricacy of Teams

I had the privilege of facilitating a Personality Dimensions course at a Southern Alberta accounting firm this week. I had a blast working with them, and learning from them. It was a good lesson for me to remember that all organizations face similar issues within teams. It doesn't matter whether it is a hospital, an … Continue reading The beautiful Intricacy of Teams →

In Over my Head?

I just read a refreshing article by Bob Anderson. Anderson writes about how much he doesn't know about leadership, and how in many instances, he is in over his head. He writes about the disparity between consultants and business people, but also how he just feels overwhelmed at times. That's a gutsy article to write … Continue reading In Over my Head? →

Healthy Hierarchies

I’ve been reading through The Boundaryless Organization this week, and the chapter on hierarchies quite intrigued me. It’s so easy to criticize hierarchies and bureaucracies, but in that criticism, we fail to realize the obvious: hierarchies are inevitable. They will always exist in the absence of anarchy. Anarchy is only a temporary state anyways, as … Continue reading Healthy Hierarchies →