Purposeful CEO

The myth of learning styles

Finally, this is getting discussed more widely. People love to be “typed” and be told what they are, versus really thinking about what they want to become. Like any theory, hold these ideas very (very) lightly, while really keeping your eye toward your ultimate goals. ### Most learning-styles taxonomies are based on ‘‘type’’ theories: That is, they classify people into supposedly distinct groups,…

How to Live & Work with Craftsmanship?

  Christine Haskell, researcher and consultant, studies performance, mastery, and organizational growth. She highlights three principles to consider when elevating your work toward craft. Trade and craftsmanship are inextricably linked. We develop skills and learn to perform to a standard. We aim to be skilled in our respective trades. That said, most people will agree there is something sacred…

The Future of Collaboration

Christine Haskell, researcher and consultant, studies performance and organizational growth. She gives an overview on the future of work.   TECHNOLOGY BOOSTS COLLABORATION Technology continues to break barriers in every industry it enters (healthcare, education, automotive, etc.). Even so, we opt for too many tried and true solutions. We hold back. Derivative solutions produce the lowest common…

Scale as a primary strategy?

    Christine Haskell, researcher and consultant, questions the mentality behind leaders that are obsessed with scaling their organizations.   Growth is naturally appealing. When we are young, we want to be older. When we have some, we always want more. We all feel better when we are making and selling more than we used to. We view it as a sign of overall health, often referring to slow growth as…

Announcing LOOK TO CRAFTSMEN – a serial book for the digital age

Today I’m announcing Look To Craftsmen, an unconventional business book that explores the work of ceramicists, stone masons and wood turners alongside that of presidents, entrepreneurs, and consultants. Why? Because craftsmen know something that top analytic minds still need to learn: how to solve the problems when no predetermined plan, no template, and no quick fix will save the day.…

MANIFESTO FOR NEW WORK, DOING IS THE NEW LEADING

The work we do matters. Doing is the new leading. Sustainable development, growth without depletion of natural resources, has become synonymous with sustainable growth—doing what’s required to sustain corporate growth and profits to increase shareholder value. We hold the assumption that our responsibility is to increase shareholder value. Outcomes are generally to sell more stuff, file more…

5 Truths of Embracing Uncertainty to Drive Change

In 2015 I founded CHC with the bold goal of helping people engage uncertainty in order to lead change. Since then I’ve had the amazing opportunity to speak on the topic to many people here and abroad. One of the foundational ways we teach engaging uncertainty is through experiential learning projects. I’m often asked how uncertainty or risk is viewed from country to country or organization to…

MASTER CRAFTSMEN AS PROBLEM SOLVERS.

Restoration stone mason Heather Lawson is among the crafters featured in the documentary series, Life’s Work: Six Conversations with Makers. Embracing the work as craft requires distinct attitudes and capabilities of solving the problem at hand, but also the intellectual vision and insight to find new problems. Seeing what is missing involves the application of creativity. Executives looking to…

WE CAN REDIRECT INERTIA.

…today more than any other time in history. This revolution we find ourselves in (gifting, sharing, collaborative, connection, etc.) enables us to try things with less risk than ever before. There are two high school kids that play violin in the farmer’s market. They can play, record, and market themselves with ease. They even have a YouTube channel. That ability is brand new. It used to be hard…

WE MAKE A LOT OF ASSUMPTIONS.

Based on our inertia. We look at the world through a lens all the time. Our worldview makes certain tools and methods attractive to you. Our worldview and our expertise determine the experiences we will have. In other words, that which we are most unaware of controls our options. So, we see organizations in trouble and think maybe they don’t understand the strategy. Actually, they understand the…

NO ONE LIKES CHANGE.

Not really. We are creatures of inertia. We are creatures of the status quo. Evolutionary psychology explains that there are no creatures that like changes in their environment. Any change in the environment is a threat. Threat leads to loss of food. Loss of food leads to death. So we notice things changing in the world and think we are one step away from death. So we learn tricks to help us…

THE PROBLEM WE ARE TRYING TO SOLVE. There is more complexity and confusion today than just twenty years ago, about how to effectively work strategy, tactics, and the emotional labor that enables change. You have to care enough to embrace projects that might not work, but could be great catalysts for change. A lot has been written about each of these topics but we rarely break them out into…

what is it? what do craftsmen have to do with it? curriculum plan/calendar what are the projects like? who should attend? will I get in? do you offer financial assistance? what support is there for people having trouble with course material? what is the attendance policy? is travel required? will the course follow the curriculum of a standard advanced degree? how is the program structured? what…

Why Should I? The Counterpoint Intensive Learning Lab is an online leadership workshop. Here are 10 reasons why you should consider the program. 1. Counterpoint is the new definition of leadership training. Decades, and billions of dollars later, and not one “leader” of the training and development industry has been able to define how to go about leading change, until now. Counterpoint has put…

a word about feedback

Feedback is not the same thing as opinion. No one is giving up their free time to hear how you feel about something. Providing comments are not about how you feel, if you would buy what I’m selling (or even if you would recommend it). You might not be my market. You are not my in-house research group. What people care about your analysis. It doesn’t help me if you say something like, “That would…

Creating From Inside Out

From art to running a company, any creative endeavor is a reflection of the person doing it. We often think that the best things are happening elsewhere, when in fact the potential for the best things come from within us as we engage in problem solving or creation. Most people don’t take the opportunity of staying put anymore. They move in search of opportunity. It takes extra effort to create…

Which line would you want stand in?

Accountable Adaptable Ambitious Aware Caring Committed Compassionate Cooperative Enthusiastic Ethical Generous Goal-Setting Honest Informed Innovating Insightful Perceptive Strategic Supportive ——————————————> OR Programmed   Which line would you stand in? Whom do you want to work for or work next to? Whom do you want to hire? Which doctor do you want to treat you? Who would you want to teach…