Two out of three executives that step into a new senior position won’t make it to their two year anniversary, according to the Corporate Executive Board, now Gartner. Some of these executives fail spectacularly while the majority quietly struggle. In any case, the effects are devastating to employee engagement and…

I realize that the start of the Bavarian school holidays doesn’t signal the beginning of summer holidays for the rest of the world, yet is a gentle reminder that the holiday season (whenever you take it) is a great time to recharge, renew and refresh your personal and professional agenda.…

“An unlikely lesson learned about strategy and leadership.” Happy birthday, Herbert Blomstedt and thank you. You’re 90 years old this week and gave me a very important seed2lead that I’ve been profiting from and now it’s time to share my learnings from you with others. Let me explain. You were the guest conductor at…

Dave Branam was our next door neighbor, growing up on Main Street in Adel. As a young boy, I used to watch men and women come home from work, (it usually meant supper was soon to be served) and most folks came home looking like they did when they went…

Two hundred years ago this week, Karl Freiherr von Drais, took the world’s first bicycle ride from Mannheim (Germany) to the Schwetzinger Inn, a distance of about five miles. Nevermind that Drais’s bicycle, called a Draisine,  didn’t have pedals, (pedals weren’t developed for another fifty years); this mode of transportation was a…

Laughter reduces stress, anxiety and pain. It’s a sign of intelligence and boosts our sense of well-being. Humor, applied appropriately,  increases creativity, commitment and motivation on the job. Ultimately, it benefits business by raising key measures like productivity and innovation. With the case for humor apparently so clear, shouldn’t we make leading with…

It’s been nearly six weeks since United Airlines suffered a serious setback to “fly the friendly skies”, with the forcible removed of Dr David Dao on flight 3411. For United executive leadership and stakeholders, it was a nightmare moment that can break even the best of companies. To be fair, CEO Oscar Munoz stepped up to the plate…