Leadership Memo 2024-12 As the year comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on the incredible journey we've shared and I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude. To my subscribers, clients, and colleagues, your support,…
Category: Culture
From Ashes to Triumph: How Notre Dame Inspires Leaders Everywhere
Five and a half years after a devastating fire, Notre Dame Cathedral, the 860-year-old masterpiece of Gothic architecture in France, stands restored. It is a powerful example of what can be achieved through teamwork and skill. Its reopening is more…
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The Secret to Unity: Five Ways to Build Stronger Connections
Last week, I shared that the secret to turning a group into a strong, cohesive team is unity. But let’s face it—finding unity when everyone has different opinions isn’t easy. It’s natural to want to prove we’re “right” and to…
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The Power of Unity Over Uniformity: Why Strong Teams Celebrate Diversity
Do you want to turn a group of individuals into a cohesive and powerful unit? If so, let me share with you a little secret: unity. Not uniformity. Unity doesn’t mean everyone thinks or acts the same way. It means…
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“We have too many meetings!”
Leadership Memo 2024-11 "We have too many meetings!" This complaint echoes across boardrooms and offices everywhere. The overwhelming monster of “meeting culture”—which only grew during the COVID-19 pandemic—is now more complex as remote and hybrid work become the norm. Predictions…
Elon Musk’s Couch vs. Corporate Comfort: A New Era of Leadership
In 2018, everyone was convinced Tesla would die. BMW: “They'll never mass produce” Mercedes: “Bankruptcy by summer” Wall Street: “Production hell” What happened next shocked every CEO in the world: Elon Musk grabbed his pillow and moved into the factory.…
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Want to Know The Secret Ingredient for Success? Permission to Fail
I've discussed psychological safety in the workplace before, but it deserves a deeper look, especially when it is essential for building innovative, high-performing teams. This concept brings together some of the most valuable lessons in leadership: the art of failure…
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Bayer’s New Model: Bill Anderson’s Vision and Early Results
Leadership Memo 2024-9 Over the past few months, we've been following Bill Anderson's audacious strategy to revitalize Bayer, the struggling German pharmaceutical giant. At the heart of this corporate experiment lies Dynamic Shared Ownership (DSO), a corporate experiment unlike any…
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Knowing When to Step Down: A Leader’s Guide to Timely Departures
Leadership is a topic I've spoken and written about extensively. Today, I'd like to address a rarely discussed aspect: when and why a leader should step down. Leaving as a leader is never easy. The timing never seems right. Departing…
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Beyond Hierarchies: The Challenges and Promise of Bayer’s Decentralization Strategy
Leadership Memo 2024-8 In recent months, I introduced you to the most audacious corporate experiment in recent years: Dynamic Shared Ownership (DSO). DSO is Bill Anderson’s bold strategy to revive Bayer, the struggling German pharmaceutical giant. I’ve explained what DSO…
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