There is a new boogeyman striking fear into top executives. In the past decade managers have gotten pretty well brainwashed in their hero-worship of the caped crusader called Empowerment. They know it’s a good thing to strive for in their organizations. They even understand that their own work-life balance depends on it. They realize that only…

I’ve been thinking a lot this week about why people do things, and what they have in mind when they ask others to act in a particular way. It’s common to find that what people say is the reasoning behind their actions or requests isn’t the real motivation for either. I may do or say…

When people speak about the soul — outside of a purely religious context — they’re usually referring to the qualities of something (or someone) that they see as fundamental to its identity. The word “soul” is shorthand for the innermost, truest or most obviously unique nature of whatever or whoever they are referring to. Used in…

This week, I’ve been thinking a great deal about what counts as a “civilized” corporate and workplace culture. That’s because I’m deep into the editing process with my new book, Slow Leadership: How to Civilize Your Workplace, which will be published this Fall. The more I think about it, the more is seems to me that much of corporate America — much of the Western corporate world, if it comes to that — has taken a large step backwards in recent years in providing truly civilized working conditions.

Problems with the balance between the demands of profit-driven corporations and peoples’ need to live a satisfying life won’t be cured by policy statements and procedure manuals. That isn’t where the causes lie. They’re inside peoples’ heads.

A civilized workplace is one where people have the time and freedom to do their jobs to the best of their ability. No one is bullied or hassled by some boss high on ego and testosterone. Leaders trust their subordinates to do what they’re paid to do; and subordinates trust their leaders to act with their interests in mind as well as the firm’s profits (and the executives’ stock options).

Office politics cannot be avoided, however many people regard them with distaste and try to avoid getting involved. But there is a way to make them civilized.

Last Thursday, we talked about creating a haven of creativity and rejuvenation for ourselves, called Kipuka in Hawai‘i. I had ended my article asking you to consider how people can be like the Kipuka, those verdant oases of life in scorched lava fields which hold the promise of what will flourish and grow once more. The…

In the list of activities that waste time and cause worthless frustration at work, meetings rank near the top, just below performance appraisals and preparing budgets.

Brian Fling from Blue Flavor talks about a term called Thought Leadership. From Wikipedia, Thought Leader is: … a buzzword or article of jargon used to describe a person who is recognized among his or her peers for innovative ideas and demonstrates the confidence to promote those ideas. The term can also be applied to…

Christmas and new year is around the corner. One of our guest authors, Rosa Say is on holiday (She certainly deserve it!). Before the holiday, she has organised some good ideas and materials for me to write to fill up her Thursday column until 05 January 2006. How thoughtful. Rosa has invited bloggers who write about…

Everyone knows that Charles Darwin said life was “the survival of the fittest.” Everyone knows it, but it isn’t true.

Conversation is becoming a lost art, replaced by endless talk. To converse is to share ideas and learn from one another in the process. It demands listening and talking in equal degrees. Talk is one-way.

Speed is everywhere. Fast cars, high-speed Internet connections, fast food, quickie divorces, “The One-Minute Manager.” Is faster always better? I doubt it, especially when you’re dealing with people. We may want to get our burger quickly, but who wants only a few moments of someone’s attention?

In my career, I’ve experienced times when disloyalty was disruptive and killed any sense of trust. But I’ve also seen cases where too much unquestioning loyalty meant important issues were suppressed until it was too late. It’s made me wonder if open questioning of authority, short of defiance, may be essential if we’re not to lose our way.