Tag Archives: Leadership
A Field Report: Dogs with Backpacks
Recently I had the opportunity to join ten other “alpha dogs” in a hike across the Grand Canyon, from the south rim to the north rim in one day. Known as the “Rim to Rim,” this is a pretty grueling … Continue reading
Was Steve Jobs a Musher?
Dear Reader — Happy Fall (if you are living in North America)! As a Chicagoan, you learn to make the most of the limited summer we enjoy, so I have been somewhat remiss in keeping my blog posts fresh and … Continue reading
People are not Dogs, nor are they Cogs
Recently a colleague turned my attention to a blog post in the Harvard Business Review blogging area, written by Nilofer Merchant. The title of the blog post was “People are Not Cogs” (http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/06/people_are_not_cogs.html). In the blog, Nilofer discussed the resistance … Continue reading
Course Correction
Throughout my blogs I’ve spoken about the need for thoughtful planning. But what should the Musher/Leader do when things just aren’t working out as planned? Mike Tyson has a famous quote that “everyone has a plan ’til they get punched … Continue reading
Clarity
Clarity of communication and communication strategy are critical elements in dog sledding. In the Parable of the Musher, the CEO reaches a point in his dog sledding experience where the team must traverse a steep hill: “What I witnessed on … Continue reading
Communications
So much about leadership is driven by the quality of communications at all levels of a business, especially between the leader and the management team. Ironically, people are seldom taught how to manage the quality of their communications. In certain … Continue reading
