The first time I read a Patrick Lencioni book, I was the COO and Managing Director of a global corporate finance company. I hadn’t been there long and was already regretting the move. My first thought after finishing The Five Dysfunctions of a Team was, “How do I leave of copy of this for the…read more
Individually AND Together
Monday, February 1st, 2010
“Individually and Together” — three words I heard this weekend from Will.i.am being interviewed as he fondly remembered the journey of success for his group The Black Eyed Peas. Yes, I am over 40 and a fan of the Black Eyed Peas! As a writer, sometimes you hear a group of words in one context…read more
Haiti: The Western Hemisphere’s Greatest Potential
Sunday, January 24th, 2010
This post is dedicated to the tens of thousands of Haitians who have lost their lives; to those who will undoubtedly loose their struggle in the coming weeks; to my friends and colleagues at Aimer Haiti and to the wonderful creative economic development ideas we were working on that now mean more than ever before. …read more
Being the Best vs. Constant Improvement
Tuesday, January 12th, 2010
Just as we must be careful of the words we use with ourselves, so as not to unintentionally sabotage our own motivation; we must also be careful with the words we choose to exemplify our commitment to excellence inside our businesses. There is a big difference between a goal of being the best and one…read more
Realistic Impossibilities
Friday, January 8th, 2010
This week YURU is guest blogging on Blogging Innovation, a leading innovation and marketing blog from Braden Kelley of Business Strategy Innovation. We are honored to be a guest blogger as this is one of the best places on the web to find latest discussions on business innovation. Click here to read Realistic Impossibilities share:…read more
What Does the Debate on Climate Change Have to do with 21st Century Business Models and Global Economic Development?
Friday, December 18th, 2009
The short answer is EVERYTHING. The long answer is what this post is all about. These are three of today’s most pressing issues that are all too often discussed in a vacuum. The best progress will be made at the margins where each of these pressing issues overlap. When we begin to see them each…read more
Looking for Profits in All the Wrong Places
Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009
Investment comfort in the world of high finance all too often comes from fast profits in known and proven markets. The never-ending game of offering higher profits at lower [apparent] risk to attract capital was certainly alive and well before the global economic crisis. The question is, why does it appear to be coming back? …read more
Can the US be the Kind of Leader the World Needs?
Tuesday, November 17th, 2009
It depends really on the US’ ability to recognize that the type of world leader required in the last century is quite different than the world leader that is needed in the 21st century. Just as in business, what qualifies as effective leadership changes over time as the constituents being led change not only demographically,…read more
No Lights, No Signs . . . No Deaths
Monday, October 26th, 2009
A Business Lesson from the Dutch The Dutch town of Drachten removed most of their traffic lights and traffic signs with remarkable results. Intersections previously adorn with traffic lights and directional signs have been replaced with round-abouts (traffic circles) and all signage removed. Deaths related to traffic accidents zero since the program started seven years…read more
From Linear to Exponential: A Lesson from the World Business Forum
Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
One of the most important lessons from this year’s World Business Forum in NY, is the need to update our business models for the 21st century. Believe it or not, most of today’s business models are based on how the military and large industrial companies were managed over 100 years ago. Gary Hamel’s presentation, in…read more