With a new year, comes a new plan. Planning is a great way to review and reflect on individual progress and progress within the organization. However, planning can be a waste of time unless we are using it to continuously review progress, or what we call short-cycle planning. Short-cycle planning is an opportune time for leaders […]

Leading Employees in a Positive Direction Knowing when to push people or the organization forward, and when to hold back while still getting forward movement, is an important part of the art and science of leadership. Being a leader is about being able to manage the gap between where people are and where they need […]

One thing is certain in leadership: wherever we are or whatever we are doing, we will always be leading and managing some sort of change. Ralph Waldo Emerson famously wrote, “People wish to be settled; only as far as they are unsettled is there any hope for them.” As leaders, a big part of what […]

A flywheel is a heavy wheel that regulates the speed of machinery. It takes awhile to get started. Once it gets going, it turns smoothly and efficiently. Momentum begins to takeover and the wheel turns almost effortlessly. It’s the same scenario with a symbolic flywheel powering an organization. Once the flywheel is moving, it spins […]

Organizations in most industries are currently experiencing a rapid pace of change and increasing competition, forcing leaders to implement programs and initiatives designed for improvements. On the surface, implementing these initiatives are often on a case-by-case basis to address a specific need or area of improvement. However, it’s not uncommon for the new initiative to […]

When Dr. Brendan Kelly arrived on the University of South Carolina Upstate scene to serve as chancellor, he quickly identified the need to establish an improvement mindset across the organization. “We didn’t talk about our future. We only talked about what we were.” During his recent presentation at Destination High Performance, Kelly described the culture […]

 IMPACT IN THE INTERIM From 2013 until 2019, University of West Georgia President, Dr. Kyle Marrero, led the University to achieve records in enrollment, graduation rates, and to develop new student-centered partnerships. He worked to develop a strategic plan within his first year and established Engage West, their continuous improvement movement. In 2015 UWG was selected as […]

“The culture of any organization is shaped by the worst behavior the leader is willing to tolerate.”  – Gruenter & Whitaker As a leader of an organization, department or division, it is imperative that you have a great team to work with in order to succeed. It is equally imperative that you provide your team […]

Mentoring new employees is a must as the first few months are the most critical for new hires. Studies have consistently shown that a significant percentage of employees who leave an organization do so within the first 90 to 120 days. Starting on day one, it is nice for new employees to have a mentor […]

How do you become a leader that everyone wants to work for? Lead by permission and not by authority. Every boss has a title. That title gives them an authority to lead, make decisions, delegate, instruct and discipline. Successful leaders view their title and role as an honor given to them by their employees. Their […]