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Sometimes, CEO succession goes horribly wrong, and that’s very often public. We see the failings of the CEO selected and think, as they fire them, “How could they get this so wrong?” That’s convenient Monday morning quarterbacking, because the reality is that it is very tricky, and no one (except

Leaders love to tout consensus decision-making. It sounds collaborative, inclusive, and wise. Many will even claim they “lead through consensus,” whether it’s true or not. But consensus fails more often than it succeeds, either because it’s executed poorly or applied in the wrong situations. Here are the most common failure

Are you starting your problem solving on auto-pilot? Do you need some kind of trigger to drive systemic, rigorous problem solving? Most people do, and it’s a missed opportunity. I came across this quote from Marvin Minksy, co-founder of MIT’s AI lab: The way people solve problems is first by

Many organizations have formed teams dedicated to the work of Lean, Continuous Improvement, OpEx, or whatever other term you prefer. These teams range from large centralized teams to distributed resources, to sole individuals. Regardless of the size and structure of the team, goals likely have to be set. While one

“Follow your dreams” is a pretty superficial and unhelpful piece of advice. It’s what I call “bumper sticker philosophy.” It sounds great and people may even clap when you say it (it’s the most common piece of advice in commencement addresses), but it’s missing the needed nuance and structure to

What’s the best interview question you’ve ever received or given? Your list of bad interview questions is likely much longer than your list of great interview questions. I’ve heard some amazing horror stories about interviews derailed by terrible questions!  But still, there seems to be more advice available about responding

In my January 2025 newsletter, I highlighted the need for improving rapid, principle-based decision making. The reason principle-based decision making is important is that we can’t possibly anticipate, and therefore pre-reason, the decisions that we’ll have to make in the future. Faced with having to work at speed, without a

People approach solving problems differently, even if they’re using the same tools and methods. It’s one of the reasons for the name of my book, and one of the reasons I’m talking to people on the People Solve Problems podcast. Because problem solving is a collection of applied skills that

I recently attended the National Association of Corporate Directors Summit, which I’ve done several times since being appointed to my first board seat 15 years ago. The lineup was impressive, including Bill Gates, Wayne Peacock, CEO of USAA, James Gorman, longtime CEO of Morgan Stanley, Clare Martorana, Federal Chief Information

Conflict is everywhere. It’s not inherently a bad thing. When managed properly and worked through, it’s actually beneficial and productive. When left unchecked and left to fester, it is toxic and can destroy a relationship, team, or even an organization. There are many methods and strategies that are helpful in