This is twitter.com/davidburkus's Typepad Profile.
Join Typepad and start following twitter.com/davidburkus's activity
twitter.com/davidburkus
Recent Activity
Great thoughts. I have to disagreed on sales representatives though. The way most sales organizations are structured, forced ranking undermines loyalty. Most representatives have a territory but answer to a manager of several territories...thus they are considered by the manager to be one a "team" of people they also actively compete against. I had the misfortune of being on such a team during my six years in pharmaceutical sales. Ironically, I did my Master's thesis on potential remedies to this situation. (It was never read by top management, but several years later I heard they were implementing a new program from a pricey consulting firm that sounded quite similar to my thesis).
Dysfunctional Internal Competition at Microsoft: We've seen the enemy, and it is us!
My colleague Jeff Pfeffer and I have been writing about the dysfunctional internal competition at Microsoft for a long time, going back to the chapter in The Knowing-Doing Gap (published in 2000) on "When Internal Competition Turns Friends Into Enemies." We quoted a Microsoft engineer who compl...
Great collection. Even added a few to my Google Reader list.
January Round-Up: A Leader Values and Engages Others
This is my first month organizing our posts at LeaderTalk around a theme. If you are a regular reader of this blog, I hope that you know this month's theme by now. It is: A leader values and engages others. Here is a compilation of posts on this topic by some of my favorite bloggers. I encourag...
Sad facts. Especially considering how much the numbers support leaders coming from inside rather than outside the organization.
Does your company have enough future leaders onboard?
Even with a high unemployment rate, more than half of large and midsized companies report not having enough management successors currently onboard, according to a survey by OI Partners, a global career transition and executive coaching firm. • 54% of companies in the survey said they do not ...
Good point. But how do you determine what questions to ask?
No Expectations? Use 360 Feedback
That title looks odd but truth is often stranger than fiction, especially when it comes to the human condition. You and I think about 360 feedback as a way to find out how we're performing against a set of agreed upon expectations. But what if no expectations have been agreed? It happens. Fo...
Video Book Review is coming along. Looks good. I'll have to add that to my reading list.
Video Book Club: Rocket Men
How many leaders does it take to put a man on the moon in less than 10 years? I don’t know the answer to that question but it’s somewhere north of a lot. This week’s video book club feature is Rocket Men by Craig Nelson. The book tells the story of everything it took to create the “one giant le...
Not sure they will create more morale leaders, but hopefully ones who better consider the consequences of their actions. Good post.
A Greater Focus on Leadership
Learning how to think critically--how to imaginatively frame questions and consider multiple perspectives--is finding its way into MBA programs. A number of prominent business schools have re-evaluated and, in some cases, redesigned their MBA programs in the last few years. And while few talk ...
Good post. I'm currently studying coaching models and one of the big elements is disclosure, knowing when to let your followers or clients know about you. Letting people know you can create a incredible bond.
Valuing and Engaging the Whole Person
Before kids, I loved naps. In the years since my daughters were born, daytime rest has all but disappeared from my life. Because of that, I have fond memories of great naps from days gone by. Here's one: when I was in college, a close friend and mentor cancelled our regular appointment so we cou...
Good post. Kind of reminds me of the idea of fixed schedule productivity.
Staying Focused When You're Overwhelmed - 5 Tips
Do you ever have that feeling that your brain is too full? When you look at the long list of deliverables and projects and to-do items and activities you have in front of you, and your poor little synapses simply can't hold it all at once? I think that is what my month is shaping up to be. Coa...
Amazing how hard it is for high-profile people to say sorry. Especially when those who say sorry right away usually get back into the spotlight pretty quick.
Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word
Question: What do former Time Warner CEO, Jerry Levin, former Citigroup CEO Sandy Weill and (soon to be former?) Washington Wizard, Gilbert Arenas have in common? Answer: They each have their issues with saying, “I’m sorry.” Of course, that trait is not unique to them. Elton John recognized i...
I like it. More face-to-face time means a greater chance for leaders to develop real relationships with followers and gives LMX theory a chance to work.
Power of Respect in Leadership
The level of cohesion and degree of personal connection between leaders and followers can make a difference. Leaders who connect well with their followers are likely to enjoy greater success. Ms. Ann Moore, chairman and CEO of Time, Inc., oversees roughly ten thousand employees around the wor...
Great idea. I'm looking forward to more videos.
Something New for 2010: The Video Book Club
The new year brings new ideas and approaches to our work. One of mine is to start a video book club on this blog. Here’s the plan. Once a week, I’ll shoot a short (3 minutes or less) video on a leadership book that I like. I’ll usually read a brief excerpt that I think provides food for thought o...
Great post. I haven't seen the movie yet but this makes me committed to seeing it.
Invictus: A Leadership Case Study for Years to Come
So one of the wonderful things (for me at least) about the end of year holidays is the opportunity to see a lot of first run movies. This year I saw Avatar (terrific 3D cinematography, weak script), Up in the Air (brilliant rendition of soulless business travel) and Invictus which is the subject ...
Steve,
Good post. Reminds me of the W.L. Gore & Associates definition of leader: one who has followers. Basically, no one is given a "leadership" position. Individuals develop a new project and influence others to help. If they do, the influencer becomes a leader.
Leadership: Actually, It Is About You
How do you know a leader when you see one? Here is a simple, straight definition of a leader that I think works in every situation: "Leaders are people who can inspire others to participate." Period. Why is it about you? Because the first move is becoming clear about your own purpose. It's this ...
Great article. I use Nick Morgan's HBR Guide to communications with some of my graduate students. I'm looking forward to reading the new one.
Forbes.com: Three Big Myths Of Executive Public Speaking
Nick Morgan, author of Trust Me: Four Steps to Authenticity and Charisma, wrote a piece on public speaking for Forbes.com. In this article, Nick debunks the most common myths of public speaking: In my two decades of work with executives on their communications, I've seen some myths come u...
Good post. This season we focus so much on what we're going to accomplish and do, but finding peace and happiness get neglected often.
Monday LeaderTip: Daily Renewal
It's a great week to establish a handful of meaningful / high-value intentions for the year ahead. What fires you up? What needs to change for you to be happier, more peaceful, and at your best professionally? What bold steps can you take in 2010 for a greater good? What help do you need to do t...
Good post. Buckingham had another good differentiation: Managers optimize people's strengths, while leaders rally them to a better future.
Leadership & Management: What's the Difference?
Discussion boards all over the internet debate the difference between leadership and management. What is the difference between leading and managing? Can managers lead? Can leaders manage? Are they both essentially the same? Based on my experience and research, I believe the following: Leaders ...
Subscribe to twitter.com/davidburkus’s Recent Activity