Archive for Leadership

When Leaders have Each Other’s Backs, Teams Have Less Tangles

Jake Pavelka, the Bachelor (yes, I secretly watch the show—I am a romantic at heart) said that he wanted to find a mate who “had his back.” I have facilitated dozens of team effectiveness offsites and invariably participants will claim that they either want to know their teammates have their backs, or recall that their [...]

Shaun White, Olympic Gold Medalist, and VUCA Leadership

One of my guilty pleasures is watching Oprah. I don’t watch it live so when I do have a few free moments, I turn on the digital video recorder and catch up. Last week, on February 19, Oprah had Shaun White, the Olympic Gold medalist on as one of her guests. He flew overnight from [...]

You Can’t Hurry Trust . . . You Just Have to Wait

There is an old song first sung by the Supremes, and later by Phil Collins and others, called “You Can’t Hurry Love.” The lyrics often run through my mind when I am working with leadership teams. Only the problem isn’t love. It is trust. You really can’t hurry trust. As an organizational consultant and executive [...]

Why Exceptional Leaders Provide Air Cover . . . And Prevent Tangles

As an executive development expert, I’ve facilitated dozens of 360 degree leadership assessments, team development, and new leader assimilation processes. Along the way, I have learned that leaders get dinged if they don’t provide air cover to their direct reports. When I first heard the term “air cover,”  I was surprised. On the other hand, [...]

Leaders: What Avatar Reveals about Respecting Differences and Organizational TanglesTM

There’s a buzz in the air about the movie Avatar. My husband and I trekked over to our local IMAX theater (www.imax.com) this past weekend and were not disappointed. The movie truly sets a new standard for moviemakers and moviegoers alike. I was transported to Pandora, a totally different world, light years away. My senses [...]

Last Minute Holiday Shopping? Give the Development Gift Pack

I have agreed to be a sponsor to Lominger, a division of Korn Ferry International? Why did I agree to do this? I was trained in all of the Lominger products in 1998. Since then, I have been using them as a regular part of my organizational consulting and executive coaching practice. I like these [...]

Night of the Living Dead, VUCA, and Strangling Tangles

This past Halloween, my husband and I locked ourselves in our darkened home, and watched a dvd of  Night of the Living Dead. I had never seen it before and to be honest, I can’t say that I truly watched the whole thing. I spent part of the movie hidden under a blanket! If you [...]

How to Build a Culture of Fear in 3 Easy Steps

Leaders, follow these three easy steps if you want to ensure that tough issues are never raised, that you don’t receive early warning signs, and that employees are seen and not heard. If you follow these steps faithfully, you and your executive team will hold all the power. You will be secure in your conference [...]

Beware: The Shadow of the Leader Can Become the Shadow of the Gang

I once had a boss who used to tell our national sales force, “The speed of the leader is the speed of the gang.” In my work as an executive consultant, coach, and “detangler,” I have met some incredibly brilliant and talented leaders. All of them were exceptional in some way, and all had areas [...]

What Leaders Can Learn from Michael Jackson

I was stunned when I heard about Michael Jackson’s untimely death last week. As a huge Thriller fan,  I remember watching Jackson and being captivated by his music, his dancing, and his beat. He really was a musical genius. I never paid too much to the tabloid headlines swirling around his life. However, in the [...]

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Marcia Ruben, Ph.D., CMC

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