This past year I've experienced "transitional speed-up" while writing Innovation in a Reinvented World, a reminder that embracing the ebb and flow of disruption is the norm in this new reality. The speed of change and the degree of complexity in solving big problems in the new world of business requires a faster regeneration of our innovation DNA. Our ability to manage beginnings and endings, entrances and exits with agilit...

A thought crosses your mind while sitting in your cubicle at work, “One day I’d like to run my own business.” You’re not alone. A recent study on employee engagement, (complimentary copy of the article with registration) conducted by the Corporate Executive Board's Corporate Leadership Council (CLC) and published in the May 2010 issue of Harvard Business Review, found that 25 percent of the "employer-identified, high-potent...

"Why," you might be thinking, "Should I worry about an exit strategy when I don't plan to leave my employer?"With worldwide unemployment rates stuck at we're-not-out-of-the-woods-yet, people with full-time, decent paying jobs will likely stay the course (for now).However, many professionals are nearing burnout after 18 months of relentless stress about jobs, their financial situation, and quality of life. Burnout does not e...

Some weeks back I was writing a blog post about an upcoming Big Dreamers guest, Allyson Tapin, who I referred to as fearless. It got me thinking about the terms we use interchangeably for outside-the-box behavior: brave, gutsy, courageous, fearless, chutzpah, risktaker to name a few. This reminded me of the classic 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz, where the Cowardly Lion hooks up with three pals in search of something different...

Most of us have heard the old saying about giving someone a fish and you feed him for a day, but teaching a person how to fish and you have fed her for a lifetime.I'm reminded of this when I see so many unemployed people right here in my own Silicon Valley sandbox as the result of company downsizing, rightsizing, restructuring, et al.Given the Bay Area's penchant for start-ups, I'm surprised that so many professionals still...

A recent road trip gave me a chance to gauge the mood of people across the U.S., chatting with folks in coffee houses, restaurants, hotel lounges and at roadside stops along I-40.I asked people to share with me one thing they were proud of having done differently the day before. Most folks struggled to identify even one small success, overlooking the single, most effective action they could take in building positive momentu...

"I don't feel that my team members have my back," one of my coaching clients, "Merrall", said leaning forward in her chair during our Skype call.Watching her posture and expression on the video screen, I could see her frustration with the current situation."What does having your back look like?" I asked."It means giving me a heads up about situations that could bite me in the backside when I least expect it."Leading Merrall...

I read the Harvard Business Review blog article "How Do Innovators Think?" with its focus on "inquisitiveness". A great attribute to have, indeed, and one that speaks to someone's curious nature. But as the authors discovered, inquisitiveness on its own doesn't always translate into action.And without action, curiosity is just another nine-letter word that never moves anyone to innovate. The six-year study surveying 3,000 c...

In the new world of work collaboration is now more important to your career than ever before. How you learn to manage three key areas: People, Technology & Tools, and Decision-Making will differentiate you in business.Leveraging all three will not only keep you ahead of the curve at work, but will help you remain competitive in the ever-shifting marketplace.Collaboration and PeopleIf the "Great Recession" has taught us anyt...

Change is not one-size-fits-all. People move at different paces according to what they perceive as inside or outside their comfort zones, the amount of trust they have in their support network, and how much perceived value the change has for them.This is oftentimes why formal change management programs aren't as effective--introducing change and implementing change require different approaches. Sometimes, moving the needle...