David Porter
Some truths about leading transformation
The first story. Late one evening, about six months into a company transformation effort, I approached a team member’s empty desk to drop off a document. In the middle of his precisely ordered desktop was a message clip holding a 3×5 index card. I picked up the card
Overcome limitations stifling our development
“Is life not a hundred times too short for us to stifle ourselves?” Friedrich Nietzsche
When a leader avoids responsibility for his actions, it often shows up as belittling, disingenuous, unsympathetic, incredible, unreliable, and egocentric.
This list illustrates the polar opposite of role model leadership attributes. It also reminds us
Knowing where to tap
Once upon a time, a ship’s captain found himself stuck in port due to a broken boiler. He asked around the shipyard for someone who could fix the problem. He was given a name and summoned the repairman who showed up in the form of a 10-year old boy
Leadership whispering during transformation
While working on a company-wide transformation effort with an outstanding cross-functional team, there were frequent opportunities to engage with leaders and employees about what we were doing, why we were doing it, and how we planned to accomplish our vision.
Before meeting with executive leaders to enroll their support as
Demonstrating straight talk leadership
One of my most valued and valuable principles is the belief that straight-talk leadership paves the way to excellence. This video explains in more detail: Straight Talk Leadership
Skip Intro: Efficiency is not Effectiveness
I noticed the Skip Intro button for the first time this week while watching Netflix’s Stranger Things 2. After the first scene of the show, the opening credits roll, and the button appears. I pressed it and continued the episode.
I thought about how often leaders choose to press