Leadership Mojo

Control Freaks

    One hallmark of exemplary leadership is the ability to inspire cooperation among others. Control Freaks, on the other hand, do motivate by dangling a long carrot. But, instead of working with others to create alignment and heart-felt passion for a shared goal, they apply humiliation, intimidation and bullying. I spent a fair amount of time this summer taking a crash course in control-freak behavior with the unusual dynamic duo Paul and Layne Cutright, experts in relationship theory and application.

     Recently, I've noticed a variety of situations crop up with control-freaks. Control is a tricky subject, diced with "shadow" aspects of our personalities. Things we really don't want to look at by light of day. What is at the core of Control Freakdom?

I Had to Fire Someone Today

    It's not much fun knowing all weekend that, odds on, you are going to have to let someone go first thing Monday morning. Especially in this economy. Still, there are times when it is absolutely necessary. And I've never been as certain that it was necessary as I was today.

     Here's the sad thing. It wasn't because of downsizing. In fact, business is so good, we are in the midst of hiring. The reason was because

Rodney Johnson's Future and Mad Men's Past

             When Rodney Johnson, President of HS Dent, a company that provides economic research, spoke in Dallas last Friday, I was there. I'd not seen Rodney, a long-time client of mine, present since several years ago when I was invited to speak at the annual HS Dent conference myself. It's always provocative to hear his economic insights.

            At one point, Rodney referenced famed economist John Maynard Keynes, an advocate of government stimulus during recessions. Keynes often spoke of stimulating man's "animal spirits." A woman near me smirked, thinking Rodney was making fun of Keynes. He did have a point, but it was not so much about Keynes as referencing our current government.... When people who run companies and those who lend money are paralyzed with fear, they don't take appropriate risk to grow the economy.... That's what Keynes was talking about.  But what Rodney then said was the reason why he brought it up in the first place: