Published Articles
Become A Cybersecurity-Savvy Director In 6 Steps
Until a crisis erupts, cybersecurity issues don't get a lot of attention in many corporate boardrooms. The topic is often viewed as a box to be checked while directors devote their real focus to the business's core financial numbers and goals...
Finding diverse talent: Your processes and perceptions are the problem, not the pipeline
There are few things that trouble me more than organizations claiming they can't find diverse talent because there's a "pipeline problem."
All one needs to do is look at the facts. By 2030, Hispanics will represent 21% of the...
When the compliance gold standard still isn't enough
Sometimes even the gold standard still isn't enough. Since 1995, company leaders and their corporate counsel have leaned on a single, well-respected measure to gauge vulnerability to bribery and corruption risks around th...
Robots Aren't Stealing Jobs -- They're Making Them Better
Not that long ago, the process for filling orders or assembling a product involved mind-numbing tasks done over and over again, to the point the worker really didn't have to think.
Building a car, for instance, was essentially a han...
Want To Win The Long Game In Sales? Focus On Your Customer More Than The Competition
Salespeople face great pressure to focus more on the competition than the client. It's an unforgiving business world out there, and sales reps have quarterly sales targets to meet and market share to gain. We all want to win, right?
How to Give Yourself a Tax Cut
It's been one of the most tumultuous, uncertain years in modern history, and yet - at least in my line of work - we now have some form of certainty just in time for tax season.
With Democrats owning a voting majority in Congress...
How to decide whether to close a business during the pandemic
The 2020 pandemic sent many businesses scrambling to protect their employees and pivot their operations to retain their customers. This crisis presented more challenges and opportunities over the course of a few months than most businesses see in...
Biden's Trade Policy Stresses Investment in U.S. Jobs
The Biden administration may be less than a month old, but its early words and actions have provided clear signs of where trade policy is headed and what that means for businesses.
Washington politics and policy are lining up to creat...
Japan's start-up scene is on the cusp of something big
Ask anyone to name some U.S. startups that made it big and they'll trot out global giants like Amazon, Facebook and Apple. Ask the same person to name a startup that went on to great things from Japan and you're likely to get a blank stare.
Time To Dump The 'Eat What You Kill' Compensation Model
It's surprising how often we see professional services firms get in their own way when it comes to driving new business and deepening partnerships with existing clients.
A primary culprit for this is outdated compensation practices...
How hospitals can chart a path to financial recovery in 2021
By any measure, 2020 was a disastrous financial year for U.S. healthcare providers.
As the COVID-19 pandemic overwhelmed their emergency capacity, hospitals and health systems saw their most profitable revenue pipelines dry up as pati...
This Is the Single Most Important Job of a Leader
Setting strategy and keeping the organization on track to meet its goals is critical for a leader. As a matter of fact, it's probably what any leader will be evaluated against at the end of the year. But a true leader needs to take a wide...
We've Been Played By The Political Industrial Complex
In a prescient farewell address 60 years ago, U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower predicted the rise of America's military industrial complex. Yet as visionary as he was, Eisenhower missed the rise of another complex - one that is arguably mo...
Knowing when your firm should take action against third-party risk
Typically, working with higher-risk third parties can creep up on a company that is either high growth or in a more regulated industry.
In the earlier part of their growth stories, most companies essentially wing it when it comes to...
The Hidden Trapdoor In M&A Deals
As global M&A activity surges again after a brief Covid-19-related slump, it's a sure bet some acquiring companies will be inheriting unpleasant surprises along with their new partners.
One of the most underrated acquisition per...
Selling In 2021 Is All About Relevance And Here's How To Get There
Ten months into the pandemic, customers are edgy. Maybe it's cabin fever. Maybe it's the challenging business environment. But make no mistake: Buyers are expecting more and more from sellers - and the pressure is on to deliver.
Cyber criminals are raising their game; small businesses must respond
Another day, another damaging cybersecurity breach.
That's how it may seem lately as a long list of high-profile firms has fallen victim to a surge in malicious online activity.
But for every breach that grabs the headli...
Feeling Fatigue Around The Diversity Conversation? Here's How to Stay Energized
You're an organizational leader, and like most in your role, you pivoted in June to focus on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) efforts. But fatigue is starting to set in. This work is uncomfortable, and you're not sure what pr...
3 Paths to Becoming a More Empathic Leader
Empathy for your team is more important than ever.
People are juggling work and kids with life during the Covid-19 pandemic, and many of us are buckling under the pressure. An estimated 865,000 women dropped out of the workforc...
How to Put Jealousy Aside When Your Mentees Pass You on the Leadership Ladder
About fifteen years ago, I hired a young man for a junior-level sales role. He didn't have much experience, but I saw a promising amount of potential in him.
Over the years, he delivered on that potential by reaching his sales goals q...