The Story Behind the STRETCH
The Start: In 1985 (while living in Midtown Manhattan and working for PricewaterhouseCoopers), I went on an Outward Bound course in Maine. As part of our “solo experience”, I remember two quotes from our reading book: “A mind stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” “We wake up every […]
Nine Day Stretch Three Prouty L3 Participants Share Their Experience
The Prouty Project Leadership Development team created our own brand of L3 — Leading Self; Leading Others; and Leading the Business — and inspired an alchemy of awakening. These are the stories of three participants from our first two Prouty L3 cohorts. Mike Colby, Prouty L3/Cohort 1 Mike Colby, Head of Logistics Automation at SICK, […]
Why Strategic Plans Fail to Get Executed
It’s a tale we see all too often. We work with the members of a leadership team to create an inspiring and potentially transformative strategic plan, and they leave motivated to tackle the world. A few weeks later when the reality of daily business sets in, our conversations take a different tone. Inspiration quickly turns […]
The Head, Heart and Hands of Leading Across Generations
The people in your organization born between 1982-2004 are not unique, special, or valued because they associate with the Millennial Generation. They are unique, special, and valued because they are individuals and they are part of your organization. Regardless of the generation(s) you find yourself leading, it’s about engagement and engagement encompasses the head, the […]
Shifting Perspectives on Leadership
Regardless of the size, location, or industry of your business, you are operating in a global environment. Let’s let that sink in for a moment. With significant demographic and technology shifts and emerging global markets, the business world has become a veritable marketplace of limitless interaction. Leaders are being challenged to better understand the nuances […]
The Adaptive Advantage
Strategic Planning in an Environment of Continual Change Perhaps you’ve seen some of the headlines in the business press questioning the value of a strategic plan given the pace of change in today’s business environment. We are, after all, now living in a world where many of our past solutions don’t apply and the rules […]
Successful M&A Starts Long Before the Negotiation Table
We’ve been hearing a lot about M&A. More companies today seem to be searching for the Pixar to their Disney — the deal that will give them the competitive edge necessary to ride off into the sunset in a true 1+1 = 3 scenario. In reality, not all mergers or acquisitions lead to fairytale endings. […]
The Glue in Merging Cultures
Did you know that multiple thin strips of wood glued together are stronger and more stable than a single wood panel of the same width? For instance, gluing six 3-foot lengths of 1 x 3 lumber creates a final product less prone to cupping, twisting, and bowing than a single 18-inch wide panel of the […]
To Convey the Plan, Speak Colorfully
Once upon a time, a senior leadership team went on a retreat to create their organization’s strategic plan. As the dust settled, and their compelling one-page plan stood proudly on a flipchart, the smile of exhausted contentment on the faces of the leadership team slowly faded. Now came the really hard part: figuring out how […]