Faith, Free-Will and Leadership: Our Dilemma?

As business leaders and private citizens, most of us struggle with a dilemma when it comes to faith, free-will and leadership. Proportionally, where should the emphasis be placed with respect to each of these three areas when making life-changing decisions? Do we make these life choices guided by faith, based solely on our own instincts and experiences, or do we seek out the advice and counsel of others. And how much control of the outcome are we willing to give up in the process?

In reality though, the decision-making process is really not that complicated, is it? Far too often we’ve heard people say “it is in God’s hands now” when they are faced with life-altering challenges or major decisions in their lives. I’m not saying that we should not seek God’s guidance and favor through prayer. Quite the opposite. However, are we not denying our own free-will and right to choose by placing the burden for decisions within our control solely upon our Heavenly Father? Continue reading…

Restoring Trust in America’s Leaders

One of the most pressing challenges America faces today is restoring trust in its leadership. Growing up my generation was blessed with iconic leaders in all areas from government and politics, to sports and religion. There were numerous examples of role model leaders including Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. and Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Ronald Reagan, Vince Lombardi, John Wooden and many others.

Who are the trusted leaders of today?

A better question might be, Why does leadership matter? We look to those in leadership to set the tone by providing focus and clarity, vision, goals and direction, motivation and to be the catalysts for change. Unfortunately, too many of today’s leaders don’t measure up to our expectations because we tend to hold them to a higher standard than we do ourselves, and this goes to the root of the problem. Continue reading…

Charity: Not Just a Tax Deduction

Recently I had the opportunity to speak at a networking luncheon where the subject of charitable event participation came up. One of the attendees, the leader of a non-profit organization, asked the question “how can we obtain greater participation and support from large corporations for our charitable activities and events?” My initial response was, don’t start the conversation with “and it is fully tax-deductible”, it sends the wrong message.

Charity is about the giving of your time, talents and gifts to help others – it should not be about a tax write-off. Charitable contributions should be about active participation and involvement in doing the right things the right way to help others in need. Most of what we need to be charitable and care-givers we learned by the time we were four years old. The Golden Rule principles we were all taught early in life still apply today. The most fundamental of those things we learned – “treat people the way you want to be treated” should be at the center of it all. Continue reading…

Globalization: What to Do Next?

In the final installment of the Globalization: The Leadership Challenge Ahead blog series we will focus on the action steps to help you improve your business performance, and prepare you for greater success in the rapidly changing global economy.

Whether your future plans call for global expansion or not, here are some of the things to consider to help you improve your competitive position in the ‘New World’ economy. Continue reading…

Globalization: The Leadership Difference

How rapidly is the global economy changing? A telecommunications CEO from Brazil predicted “The services that account for 80 percent of our revenue today will only be our second-largest source of revenue in five years.”

The world’s private and public sector leaders believe that rapidly escalating complexity is the biggest challenge confronting them. They are equally clear that their organizations are not equipped to cope effectively with this complexity in the global business environment.

Yet one set of CEO’s and organizations have consistently performed well. How do these “Stand Outs” mitigate complexity and even convert it into opportunity? Continue reading…

The Global Business Challenges

In the previous segment of the Globalization: The Leadership Challenge Ahead article series we addressed the ongoing debate of whether globalization is good or bad for the economy. Now, let’s turn our attention to the global business challenges.

Some 20+ years ago, I first addressed the topic of global business challenges as a part of my speech at a graduate school symposium at the University of Oklahoma. One of the charts in my presentation listed the major challenges of competing in a global marketplace; similar to what is shown below. Continue reading…

Globalization: Good or Bad for Business?

The debate of whether or not globalization is good or bad for the economy and for business has been raging for years now. It’s time to weigh in with your opinions and thoughts.

Is global trade good or bad for the economy? Is global trade good or bad for your business? The public opinions on this topic vary dramatically, which is why the conversation continues.

A recent poll published by the Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor http://bit.ly/gziJLY reflected the views held by 1,200 Americans of our nation’s standing in the global economy, and summarized the answers to the same questions above. The chart depicts how universally divided the responses are on the pros and cons of international trade. Continue reading…

Are You Paying Attention to the Signs?

This article is an introduction to a new blog series around “Globalization: The Leadership Challenge Ahead” the topic of my presentation at the Colleyville Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon on January 6, 2011 to kick-off the new year.

To put things into the proper context, globalization is fast becoming a business imperative for survival and growth, whether you recognize it or not. This is true for both solo entrepreneurs and small local businesses, as well as large multi-national corporations.

Are you paying attention to the signs? Continue reading…