The Greatest Leader

I have been asked on a number of occasions, by journalists and curious clients, whom I believe to be the greatest leader in America. And I usually respond with my own question. “Are you asking for the name of a famous leader?” This usually leads to a fair amount of confusion, until I explain that the best leader in the world is probably relatively obscure. You see, I believe that the best leader out there is probably running a small or medium-sized company in a small or medium-sized town.

Teamwork, Leadership and Suffering

One of the most prevailing approaches to modern life, if not the predominant one, is the desire to avoid suffering. So much of our lives—and our economy—is involved in finding ways to get through our days without having to face the physical and emotional difficulties that are ultimately inevitable. Evidence of this can be found in everything from the existence of hundreds of types of pain relievers (Extra Strength Tylenol Cold Gel Caps for Left-handed Children) to the bogus advertisements for miraculous weight loss solutions (Eat All You Want and Never Exercise!) to the preponderance of self-help books encouraging us to avoid guilt and personal responsibility for our actions by assigning blame and responsibility to a parent, teacher or family pet. Of course this is understandable.

The Law of Thirds

There is a model that I really love to share with clients because it always provokes an exceptionally strong reaction from them, a terrific mixture of revelation and relief. I wish I knew who to attribute the model to, because it is as powerful as it is simple. What I'm talking about is something called the "law of thirds," and here's how it works. Imagine that you are leading an organization of some kind. You might be a CEO of a company, or a manager with a department full of employees.

The Best Gift a Manager Can Give an Employee

As we approach Christmas, it is natural for us to think of giving, though all too often in material terms. Well, if you're a manager, and you'd like to give your employees something that will outlast any cookie basket or gift certificate or desk accessory you can order on-line, then I have just the thing for you. It is remarkably simple and requires no money. It costs only a little time, and perhaps a bit more courage and vulnerability than managers are sometimes prepared to spend.

The Journey

Friends, Family and "Cousins" I am glad to report that The Three Signs of a Miserable Job made the New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-seller lists during these past weeks and month, and I want to thank our friends and family and "cousins" of The Table Group who went out and purchased copies of the book right after it hit the shelves. Your support means a great deal to me and everyone at The Table Group, and we wish we could thank you all individually. In addition to making those lists right out of the gate—something that has never happened with any of our other books—sales seem to be growing.