Extroversion is the dominant style in the United States. As a result, we sometimes confuse leadership with charisma. Yet, research shows that not only are 40%-50% of CEO’s introverts, some of the more “famous” CEOs are also introverts, including Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Charles Schwab and Steve Spielberg. Amongst entrepreneurs, the numbers are higher. Why? … Read More
culture
With Diversity, Comes Diversity
What does this statement even mean? Homogeneous groups have similar backgrounds, preferences and personality styles. Often homogeneous groups are homegrown with few additions from “outside.” Diverse groups, on the other hand, may differ in traditional ways, i.e., gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual preference. Members may also differ in terms of their personality styles and backgrounds. … Read More
Gratitude for Clean Toilets that Flush
I spent most of December in Vietnam and Cambodia, an experience that had a profound impact I am still processing. We were fortunate to find a Hanoi based travel agent who created a truly local experience. While we stayed in fine hotels, most of which had all the features of western hotels, the rest of … Read More
Consensus Gives You Beige
When a leader asks for input and then makes a decision, the result is vivid color, i.e. a better decision. It is a better decision for several reasons. First and foremost, your team feels valued when they are asked to participate in the decision process. Second, there is value in the wisdom of crowds; many … Read More
Is your company divided between the “creatives” versus the “practical” people?
Do you divide your team into “creatives” and ” practical” people? If so, are you missing out on the creative ideas of the other half? If you ask David Kelley, one of the founders of IDEO, and winner of countless innovation awards he will say yes. David maintains that human beings are naturally creative and … Read More
Trust Your Gut For the No
Often when we are buyers, we find someone or something we like and then work to find data (experience, accomplishments, etc.) to convince ourselves why this person or this product is something we should buy. When it comes to interviewing for key candidates, Vistage speaker, Barry Deutsch recommends we take a more structured approach to … Read More
That’s Not What I Meant
In my work as a leadership coach and peer advisory board chair, I am constantly reminded that despite the fact that we are all the same species, with many characteristics in common, we truly do see the world differently. We expect this to be so when we interact with people who speak a different language … Read More
It’s All About Style
There are lots of tools available for assessing personality style, and each has its nuance. Stripping away the nuance, with few exceptions, the assessments produce a matrix of 4 primary personality styles. These styles result from an understanding of extroversion vs. introversion, the relationship of each to detail orientation; and then adding to this, a person’s proclivity to … Read More
Making the Visible, Invisible
I love dining out. I love live theatre and for me, restaurants are theaters. Like theatre, restaurants create a show for us to experience, including director, actors, staging and lighting. A couple of weeks ago I had dinner at a local restaurant that is part of a restaurant group. It was an experience in innovation and … Read More
The Dark Side of Habit
Last month, I wrote about the power of habit. I recently had two experiences with people I know well that reminded me there is also a dark side to habit. The closer the relationship, the more we think we “know” a person, the more we form habits or patterns in those relationships. If they do X, we respond with … Read More