Your creativity matters

One of the most helpful human and organizational change theories comes from Otto Scharmer, it’s called Theory U. Readers of A Cause Greater will recognize the author as I’ve written on how to practice his theory in real life many times. Theory U takes you through an interconnected and human process ...

I hate crabgrass. Crabgrass just doesn’t look good in a lawn, it spreads everywhere, and is extremely tough to weed. Every year we’ve applied a chemical in our backyard that helps kill crabgrass before it has a chance to take root. For various reasons, earlier this year we chose not to apply the ...

How do you develop a high-performing team? Organizational leadership at any level is complex. Whether you are starting out in your career or have over four decades of experience, you are regularly a part of a team. In today's blog we are looking at the competencies involved in developing a ...

Last week I bumped into a former workout buddy at the gym. I hadn’t seen him in a while and took the opportunity to catch up. He recently sold his home in East Grand Rapids (Michigan) and moved to his cottage on the shoreline of Lake Michigan. I reflected, “Wow, that is a big change.” To which he ...

For many years I understood that the highest form of developing an organization’s future were the elements broadly described as strategic planning. These elements, all of which propel transformation, capture future value, and further your ability to live into your vision for the future, are ...

Last month’s post Getting Caught in the Obstacle Rather Than the Opportunity it Provides tickled many positive responses from Clients, colleagues, and friends. Thank you! So I thought, I’d build on the concept a little further. Whether your obstacle is uncertainty about tariffs, labor shortages, ...

We live in a volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous, and anxious (VUCAA) period in history. During such periods of time, it is very easy to get caught up in the obstacles we are experiencing that is right in front of us. Obstacles like these are often new, can be very frustrating, and we wonder ...

You might be a lot like me on this one. During undergrad and grad school I learned to think about organizational culture as an iceberg. Culture was frozen, ridged, even a little scary. Culture had things above the water line that people talked about. Culture had things below the water line that ...