By Michael Holland - A few years ago I joined a men’s lacrosse league. I hadn’t played lacrosse in quite a number of years, but yearned to be back in a competitive game, expending all that stressful energy and feeling the rush of natural adrenaline. To prepare, I went out for a run, [...]
by Michael Holland - When an employee makes a dishonorable decision, they create small ripples of hurt. When executives make dishonorable decisions, they hurt whole organizations of people as well as those with whom the people interact. Hundreds if not thousands of people are impacted. There’s a standard to which most of us [...]
By Michael Holland - There’s a dance going on each and every day between new leaders and their bosses. The new leaders are in their first management role trying desperately to balance an insane workload with the art of delegating to their former peers. The new leaders appropriately want/desire a consistent, safe space [...]
by Michael Holland - Joshua Chamberlain found himself at the Battle of Gettysburg, leading the 20th Maine Regiment on the end of a battle line as they defended a strategic location: Little Round Top. The Confederates charged again and again and again, decimating Chamberlain’s regiment to just a few soldiers, each with little [...]
By Michael Holland - If you're still spending money on high potential programs, stop now and deploy your investment to a group of employees who need it more. I do believe that some high potential development programs have proven fruitful. But most fail in their selection process and expend an exorbitant amount of executive time [...]
by Michael Holland - A 52-year-old vice president struggles to keep his job. While “successful” throughout his career, it seems he now lacks the leadership capability to adequately enable his team of 60-plus folks to achieve basic success. He also lacks the introspection to see that his domineering, “take-the-hill-at-all-costs” style has disengaged him from [...]
by Michael Holland There he sits, the 52-year-old, slightly graying VP. He’s in the same seat he sits in every week at the meeting. He’s present, but he’s not really here. He talks, but no one actually listens to what he’s saying. He’s productive and his team seems to get the minimal work completed, but [...]
By Michael Holland My favorite NFL football team, the great Baltimore Ravens, made their first pick in the 2014 NFL draft and picked C.J. Mosley who attended and played for Alabama. What’s really amazing about the NFL draft process is the tremendous depth and breadth of information that is available on every player. With [...]
by Michael Holland Within a span of several weeks in early 2014, Governor Chris Christie of NJ (with his potential involvement with Bridgegate), and Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning(with his horrific Super Bowl loss) were both faced with a vivid reality. One moment they were almost invincible, perched high on great pedestals that were rising toward [...]
by Michael Holland Do you have legitimate authority? What a great question. In his most recent book David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants, Malcolm Gladwell brings us perspective that we should know—or may already know—but that we often overlook. This perspective is contained in a principle of legitimacy and helps [...]
