Most organizations lack a well-defined internal operating system and suffer the results. With straightforward steps, this post provides guidance to execute a sytem to improve results.

I became a manager at the young age of 27, and was struck by how simple many of the problems were that the team brought to me to solve for them.

The wrong growth focus for a business leader: organizational growth comes from an ingenious marketing campaign, an innovative change to its services, or a top-shelf client. To really unlock growth, clarify goals and measure progress instead.

This year is drawing to an end and people everywhere have turned attention to creating goals and plans for the next year.

A friend of mine makes incredibly beautiful cutout Christmas cookies. The same type of cookie that I've made every year with my family look nowhere close to these. The colors are amazing. The textures unique.

Your personal leadership brand comes together in bits and pieces over time. It can serve you best when you intentionally create it. Doing so will help you grow your career. With a personal leadership brand: Defining your leadership brand emerges from paying close attention to what happens around you in the work context. And how do you "pay close attention?" That emerges from a combination of focusing on the moment and reflection. The best mechanism for that is writing down what happens to you.

Corporate values often feel soft, decorative - like throw pillows on the couch. You move them aside for something more important.