The Transformational Leader: Story of the Seed
THE STORY
A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business.
Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.
He said, “It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided
to choose one of you.” The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. ”I am going to give each one of you a seed today – one very special seed. … Read More “The Transformational Leader: Story of the Seed”
I received a communication requesting recommendations for how to open up communication within the organization. This is a bold and quite perceptive insight for an executive leader to recognize this need. Communication is the root cause that erodes trust and if effectively woven into the cultural fabric, can sustain an organization. Today it requires starting over with a “beginner’s mind” considering today’s social media climate.
More and more, we are hearing about executives in their ivory tower that only tell their employees what they want to hear. But, how much is too much? At what time do we sacrifice productivity for the sake of being transparent and building a culture of trust? … 
The key to sustaining innovation is being able to think out of the box—keeping fresh ideas coming. Taking leadership to the next level and providing programs that “go deep” means literally digging deeper. Over time, we develop tunnel vision. I know I have. So, I have to consciously keep myself out of that rut. Otherwise, the potential for blind spots increases—I continue to discover that I have more than my fair share. I can at times simply hit a brick wall. My team can also hit a brick wall. And, ultimately innovation is halted.