Core Values – Dan Greer

Does Your Company’s Culture Reinforce Its Strategy And Purpose?

Dan Greer — Mon, 13 Jun 2022 15:02:42 +0000

I have done a lot of work in the area of strategy because that requires you to define your competitive advantage in your market and find a way to leverage that to make a profit. Equally as important is the organizational culture your people work in to make sure they are empowered and love working together as a team.

What is rising to the top again is the North Star of purpose which takes leaders beyond making a profit to making a difference. This post by HBR is a very practical application of all three priorities:

“Early in my career, strategy was seen as the key to business success. More recently, purpose has become an essential element of doing business — the north star and inspiration meant to orient all company activities. But there is often a large gap between a company’s purpose and what its employees experience, and a simple communication campaign about the great new company purpose won’t do much good on its own.”

How Bad Times Bring Out The Best In People

Dan Greer — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 14:02:10 +0000

The constant negative news lately is enough to cause all of us to be afraid and want to hide from it all. This disruption is also a wonderful opportunity for gracious people to step into the chaos with acts of kindness to help others. In my small neighborhood filled with older people, I have seen an intentional strategy develop where younger families are taking care of the needs of widows who live alone. This HBR post also reminds us of the powerful impact corporate leadership can make when we put others first:

“It’s easy to look around and see how the Covid-19 crisis has brought out the worst in some people — from hoarding thousands of bottles of hand sanitizer to crowding bars and restaurants despite public-health guidelines. But such irresponsible behavior, I believe, is more the exception than the rule. Time and again, individuals and communities have demonstrated that the worst situations tend to bring out the best in people and the organizations to which they belong. In every moment of darkness, it seems, there are countless moments of light — small gestures of compassion and connection that allow people to show who they are, how they want to live, and what matters to them.”

A Trusted Leader Leaves A Legacy

Dan Greer — Sun, 09 Feb 2020 15:21:35 +0000

I hate the focus in corporate leadership that is always looking at the priority for short term results at the detriment of long term success. This can be seen more clearly than anywhere else in the area of not giving value to the people on your team. If your people are mere human capital and a means to your end, then you are not leading. This Forbes post is on point:

“Legacy leavers operate in ways that build trust and transform lives. They tend to be concerned with the greater good.

One of the primary reasons successful leaders leave legacies is because they understand its impact on everyone around them. Their goal is to build relationships and accomplish something memorable that will help the organization move forward long after they are gone.”

How You Can Build Trust Now

Dan Greer — Sun, 02 Feb 2020 16:20:17 +0000

The last few years have been the most culturally toxic time of my life and I grew up the the 1960’s. Trust has been lost with leaders at every level of our society and it will take a long time to gain it back. The major responsibility you have as a leader is to make sure your character can be trusted. This Forbes post will help:

“We’re living in a crisis of trust, which has great transaction costs to our economy, as well as causing the current epidemic of anxiety and depression. Here’s a refresher on the state of public trust, informed by twenty years of global data. So what can you, as a manager, business lead, or even consultant do to build trust, thereby helping teams become innovative and adaptable to succeed in 2020? While it’s easy to feel daunted by the size and complexity of the problems in front of you, as an individual, you’re actually well-positioned: local community members are trusted by 69% of the population, whereas only 51% who trust CEOs.”

The Second Commandment Of Highly Effective Leadership

Dan Greer — Sun, 01 Dec 2019 16:28:25 +0000

Great leaders can see problems or opportunities when most people don’t and they can develop a solution that works. The also can answer the questions of who should be leading this effort and what it the best timing for execution. Beyond all of that, lies the secret sauce of Why are we doing this? This Leadership Council post is a great reminder:

“Do you know why you do what you do? What impact do you want to have, and why is it important to you?

If you’re not familiar with the “why” question, it was introduced by Simon Sinekin his famous TED Talk based on his book Start With Why. He explains that all companies know what they do, and most know how they do it, but very few know why they do it.

I believe that the same goes for individuals, including most leaders. Many have asked me, “Why am I so passionate about helping others succeed?”

How To Make Excellence A Habit

Dan Greer — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 15:20:16 +0000

Small things done repeatedly over time are the keys to producing lasting results. These habits form the foundation for all personal leadership. Striving for excellence should be the goal of every leader who wants to make a difference. This was a great Forbes post:

“We are what we repeatedly do. I believe our habits become part of our character. If you aim for excellence in life, cultivating good habits is absolutely essential to attaining your goals.

Think of it this way: A good habit is a progressive step on your way to overall excellence. And, if it’s a habit, you don’t need to think about it. It becomes automatic, and the time-challenged business leader can reserve his or her time for more pressing matters. Moreover, habits are divisible. Breaking them down into their constituent parts is key. Doing so will allow focusing on what is finite, concrete and doable, not just some amorphous concept. Then, each habit can be taken in turn, achieving and perfecting one after the other.”

If Want To Use Your Phone Less, First Figure Out Why

Dan Greer — Tue, 11 Jun 2019 14:40:15 +0000

This is an ongoing battle that most of us are loosing. This constant state of connectivity is robbing us of relational and emotional margin at an alarming pace. So what to do without throwing the baby out with the bath. This HBR post is very helpful:

“We live in a busy world. We use our smartphone to answer emails, calls, and instant messages at all times of the day: in business meetings, at lunches, while waiting for the bus, queuing at the grocery store, and even during special occasions and family gatherings. Similar scenes may be observed in local parks where parents often push the swing with one hand and scroll through their phones with the other, occasionally resurfacing to give their kids a smile.”

The Insidiousness Of Pride

Mon, 25 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +0000

All great leaders know there are times and situations where directive leadership is not only necessary but appropriate. However, if we find ourselves using that as our go to style, then we are clearly not developing other leaders and empowering our teams. This Forbes post is helpful for leaders who really care:

“You may have been taught that pride is a cardinal sin. It’s a virtue to be humble and modest. After all, no one likes a cocky jerk. We all know someone whose pride makes them insufferable to work with. Although it’s a no-brainer to say that pride in the workplace needs to be fiercely thwarted (both at a company-wide level, by instilling the proper culture, and at the management level), it’s not always clear when the line between decisive leadership and stubborn pride is crossed.”

5 Steps To Leading Through Personal Vision

Sun, 09 Dec 2018 08:51:54 +0000

I was fortunate to attend one of Stephen Covey’s first seminars on 7 Habits. The one that changed my life was Habit 2, Beginning With The End In Mind. I realized then that if I did not take the time to define my core values and purpose in life, someone else was going to do it for me. This Forbes Coaches Council post is a great reminder for every leader:

“Have you ever worked for someone who wasn’t clear on who they were, what they stood for or where they were leading you? This can be very confusing and demotivating. Developing a personal vision statement is critical for leaders because it provides a framework for decision making and creates a road map to move forward with intention and purpose. It also motivates and inspires those they lead.”

Busyness Is Our Worst Addiction

Thu, 06 Dec 2018 16:25:49 +0000

Every day we all ask ourselves How am I doing? Where you go to answer that question is critically important. We all need security and significance but if you have replaced real accomplishments in your life with just more activity, especially at work, then you are headed for a bad place. This Forbes post is worth the read:

“When you think of addiction, you probably think of drugs and alcohol. However, you can be addicted to anything. Addiction is being compulsively or physiologically dependent on something habit-forming. Do you know what most of us are addicted to? Being busy. Busy is habit-forming. People pride themselves on being busy, but busyness is an addiction that needs to be cured.”