April 2009
Genius in Gray Areas
“Successful leaders in Degussa, a German company, must have courage, determination, and a strong backbone,” wrote Fast Company, which profiled the company in an article about how to “Invest in a Courageous Culture.” The magazine wrote, “Degussa views bravery and audacity as essential corporate virtues, and it trains all of its managers to embrace those qualities.” That kind of courage, to be bold and audacious, counts on genius. Genius should not be
Designing Courageous Leadership
Designing Courage There is a direct correlation between your success quotient and your courage quotient. Sony Corporation believes customers want choices, so they design many options. Other organizations such as 3M and Disney instill daily “gray shade attributes” to seek and stimulate creative design. Creative people such as artists understand this abyss. They know inspiration hides in the paradox that
Leadership in Reactive Times
It’s better to be a crystal to shine for a moment and risk getting shattered to bits than live a hundred years as a tile on a roof. — Chinese saying DURING PROACTIVE TIMES, leaders generally become advocates of the causes they deem critical and then design the objectives to achieve those goals, such as implementing knowledge transfer programs, pushing innovation and