For a lot of obvious reasons, innovation has become the new catchword in business. Recent research by McKinsey reveals that there is a wide gap between the aspirations of executives to innovate and their ability to execute. 70% of senior executives say that innovation will be among the top three drivers of growth in the [...]

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I have long contended that innovation lies at the intersection of creativity and diversity. My argument is that to get real innovation in an organization requires a well managed, diverse team of people, with the freedom to try new ideas and develop new ways of doing things. The problem as I see it is that [...]

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The McKinsey Quarterly reported in its 2008 edition that nearly half of the executives that they surveyed identified increased competition for talent as the trend that will have the greatest effect on their companies over the next five years. They further report that a majority of the respondents say that their companies don’t have a clear [...]

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Many of you have heard me make a clear distinction between leadership and management. I believe that leadership is an impersonal activity. Management is a much more intimate activity. Leaders stand before the group and paint a compelling picture of the direction the group is going. They seldom if ever go door-to-door to make sure every person in [...]

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I spoke recently to the incoming MBA class at The Goizueta School Of Business at Emory University. The panel included several senior executives from large corporations. I was the only consultant or external practitioner on the panel. After the session, one of the visiting participants came up to me and made the following comment. She said, "you [...]

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Now this is the way for a non-delegate to attend a political convention!
 
First, let me confess that I am not a registered Democrat (or Republican). I identify as a (conservative leaning) Independent. But as a former Democrat, I could not pass up an invitation to attend the convention as a VIP Guest. Besides, it was [...]

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The lineup of speakers at a political convention is interesting. It’s almost like a court proceeding. is a cast of witnesses, some expert, most not. Some resonate with the jury. Others fall flat. The idea, of course, is not necessarily wow the jury, but to get the ideas on the record.
 
As I sat in the [...]

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DNC Day 1
The first thing that struck me about the convention was the DNC’s summary of the diversity of the delegates. On every newscast covering the convention, it was noted that:

 
24% of delegates are African American.
12% of delegates are Latino/Hispanic
6% of delegates are gay/lesbian
4% of delegates have physical disabilities.
17% of delegates are 36 or younger
12% [...]

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