Much is written and discussed about developing top organizational talent to be able to perform at the highest levels to achieve strategic goals and financial objectives.  During the past eight years since the financial meltdown of 2008, many global business organizations that had cut training budgets have never come back with full budgets to cover everyone in their organizations, instead choosing to focus on specific audiences such as High Potential leaders who could lead the businesses sometime in the future.  While choosing to focus on high potentials, these organizations also chose not to focus on the core performers. Employees who lead and do the actual work that creates the value which customers buy.

Invest in an aligned and efficient brand portfolio strategy

The internet is a wonderful tool that has changed everything in the world and everything in business.  Every potential customer and every existing customer has an infinite amount of data available at their fingertips to gather information as part of their decision-making process.  Unfortunately, in our 147-characters-or-less world, once a customer has developed a perception – which is accomplished at internet speed - about your company, products, and value proposition, there is a danger they can categorize you and keep you stuck there forever.  This is called “pigeonholing.”

Trust Yourself before Trusting Employees

We all know that being a business leader in the VUCA world of 2016 and beyond is a difficult and challenging job.  Over the past few weeks I have been working with a number of organizations in different industries in the area of Business Leadership skill development and one theme that continues to be a significant challenge for all of them is managing a diverse and virtual workforce.  It is a complex business leadership challenge because of many factors involved including, but not limited to, time zones, language, matrixed organizations, multiple reporting structures, communication skills, mergers & acquisitions, and spin-offs.

Even if you had Nothing to Sell

I received a LinkedIn personal message from a former Advantexe Strategic Business Selling™ participant last week.  We have remained in touch since the live training a few years ago and as part of my contract with her organization I personally provided her with coaching and Account Planning advice.

Developing leadership skills should be a never-ending process.  The most experienced, reasonable, and productive leaders I have had the chance to work with during more than 25 years of designing and delivering Business Leadership skill development solutions have always said something similar and fascinating that I agree with; “Just when you think you have seen it all, something happens to make you shake your head and realize that the learning never stops.”

I was recently interviewing a senior executive as part of the design of our new Business Simulation, Leading Strategic Execution™.  During our hour-long dialogue the executive shared several interesting observations about the behaviors he sees people exhibiting in today’s evolving work environment.