Category Archives: Teamwork

On Track with de Bono, Six Hats and Creative Thinking

Don’t know how my Dad felt about it, but when I was young I loved it when we had to stop at a railroad crossing and watch the trains go by. One time while we were waiting, Dad asked me if I knew what the sign near the track said. I said no, so he [...]

Also posted in Brilliance, Brilliant Actions, Creative Thinking Techniques, Focus, Leadership, The Good Doctor: Prescriptions for Better Thinking, Thinking Skills | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Leadership Lemonade – five insights to develop better change leaders

An insightful article appeared today in the McKinsey Quarterly, Developing Better Change Leaders.  The message of the article is that leadership too often overlooks the “softer” skills needed to spread and embed change throughout an organization. Here are some of their insights: Leaders can’t ask others to change if they’re not willing to change themselves. Tie [...]

Also posted in Brilliance, Brilliant Actions, Communication, Leadership, Seven Lemons of Leadership | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Pink Slime, Leadership and Slime Balls

  Barb Shelly wrote a commentary in the Kansas City Star titled: ‘Pink Slime’ A Product Of Our Cheap-Beef Economy. In that article she quotes Donald D. Stull, a cultural anthropologist at the University of Kansas, saying this about pink slime: “It is interesting to watch how framing really transforms the dialogue. It seems to [...]

Also posted in Brilliance, Brilliant Actions, Communication, Creative Thinking Techniques, Leadership, Thinking Skills | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Is brainstorming an ideas generator or a myth?…part two

Is Jonah Lehrer’s argument against brainstorming all wet? Brilliance Activator helps leaders uncork the creative power of their teams to develop products and services that delight customers, increase repeat sales, and improve their profit margins. Receive regular insights and information from Brilliance Activator by subscribing to our free newsletter.

Also posted in Brainstorming, Brilliant Actions, Communication, Creative Thinking Techniques, Focus, Innovation Navigation, Innovation Strategy, Leadership, Logical Thinking and Argument, Thinking Skills | Leave a comment

Is brainstorming an ideas generator or a myth? – a New Yorker State of Mind

I’ve read about the brainstorm technique– work as a team and wildly ideate don’t criticize or ideas deflate. But I want to think alone, where not a white board you’ll find– I’m in a New Yorker State of Mind. (with apologies to Billy Joel) In January of 2012, Jonah Lehrer wrote an article for The [...]

Also posted in Brainstorming, Creative Thinking Techniques, Innovation Strategy, Leadership, Logical Thinking and Argument, Musings, Thinking Skills | 1 Comment

The Seven Lemons of Leadership – Episode Seven

What do leaders do? According to Robin Ryde in his book, Thought Leadership, leaders talk. In other words, communication is at the heart of being a good leader. “Crummy Communication”, the seventh of The Seven Lemons of Leadership, is one of the most serious reasons for failed leadership. In the video that follows, I discuss [...]

Also posted in Brilliance, Brilliant Actions, Communication, Leadership, Seven Lemons of Leadership | 2 Comments

The Seven Lemons of Leadership – Episode Six

“Corked Creativity,” the failure of leaders to put the creative power of their teams to productive and profitable use is the Sixth Lemon of Leadership. For over ten years the business press has published article after article about the necessity for creativity and innovation in organizations. They’re necessary not only for success but for continued [...]

Also posted in Brilliant Actions, Creative Thinking Techniques, Innovation Strategy, Leadership, Seven Lemons of Leadership, Thinking Skills | Leave a comment

The Seven Lemons Of Leadership – Episode Five

Economics are at the heart of business. But how we define economics, what we enable economics to encompass, determines whether our leadership is rich or poor. This episode of The Seven Lemons of Leadership examines the cause of poor economics and what we can do to avoid it. Brilliance Activator helps leaders uncork the creative [...]

Also posted in Brilliant Actions, Customer Service, Economics, Focus, Seven Lemons of Leadership | Leave a comment

The Seven Lemons of Leadership – Episode Four

The main purpose of business, according to business guru Peter Drucker, is to get and keep customers. How do we get and keep customers? By delivering products and services that provide value. The third Lemon of Leadership occurs when our customers question the value of our goods and services. And the fourth Lemon of Leadership [...]

Also posted in Customer Service, Leadership, Seven Lemons of Leadership | 3 Comments

The Seven Lemons Of Leadership – Episode Three

The Second Lemon of Leadership is A Tepid Team. When a leader’s team is unenthused about their work, days grow long and the joy of leadership quickly sours. This episode of The Seven Lemons Of Leadership explores why teams lack passion and what the leader of the team can do to sweeten the situation. Brilliance [...]

Also posted in Communication, Focus, Leadership, Seven Lemons of Leadership | 3 Comments
Get Adobe Flash player