I call these the Change Agent Bumper Stickers…..

Here are seven universal sayings that can comfort and guide anyone engaged in the effort of setting a new direction, orchestrating innovation, establishing a culture, or changing behavior. Continue reading

Defining qualities of a Real change Leader

So what are RCLs like? They are all different—except in their determination to achieve better results through people. They share a common set of characteristics that help them further this aim: Continue reading

MEET THE BOSS: Fred Hassan, Schering Plough

Chief executive tells how he transformed a company in freefall, oversaw $41.1bn merger with Merck.

In 2003, when Fred Hassan took over as chief executive at Schering-Plough, the company was in freefall and being investigated for accounting irregularities. Continue reading

Reforming the public sector in a crisis

The McKinsey Quarterly: Please summarize the lessons you have learned about leading, designing, and implementing the process for putting state finances in order. Continue reading

What is life asking of me? What is this situation asking of me?

I have found in my teaching that the single most exhilarating, thrilling, and motivating idea that people have ever really seriously contemplated is the idea of the power of choice — the idea that the best way to predict their future is to create it. Continue reading

Passion

People say you have to have a lot of passion for what you’re doing and it’s totally true. And the reason is because it’s so hard that if you don’t, any rational person would give up. It’s really hard. And you have to do it over a sustained period of time. So if you don’t love it, if you’re not having fun doing it, you don’t really love it, you’re going to give up. Continue reading