1956 was not supposed to be a good year to start a homebuilding business. America was sliding into a recession. The competition was fierce. Eli Broad started his own building business anyway. Broad and his partner figured they could beat the competition by being efficient. That gave them an edge, but not much. They also » Read More
Category: Leadership
Leadership: A Turing Test for Bosses
Alan Turing made many contributions to the Allied effort in World War II and to the many fields that have coalesced into computer science. He’s best known among laypeople like me for his “Turing Test,” a test of whether a computer can exhibit intelligent behavior like a human being. My question for you » Read More
Boss’s Tip of the Week: People have reasons
Most people want to do the right thing. They’ve usually got good intentions and they have good reasons for what they do, even if they make a bad choice. That’s when the word “Why” can be your best friend. Ask “Why did you do that?” Your team member will answer you, often leading with the » Read More
Leadership: Treat People Right
With all the talk about ping pong tables and gourmet chefs and nap rooms, you’d think people really want a lot to come to work. But they don’t. Many of the people who came to my supervisory skills classes thought their job was to motivate team members. Whenever I asked those individuals whether they needed to be » Read More
Boss’s Tip of the Week: You’re only champion for a day
When you win big or hit a big goal, revel in it. Have the party, bask in the glory, feel good. But you’re only champion for a day. Clean up after your celebration, take a few moments to analyze your success, and then get moving on the next challenge. This is only one of 347 tips in my ebook, Become a Better Boss One » Read More