Moments
With
Marty

You’ll often hear people explain away someone else’s success by saying, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know!” It’s easy to discount another person’s achievement by putting it down to their position of privilege… to believe that the only reason they made it was because they received a leg-up, or a head start… […]

I’ve often heard of leaders getting feedback from their boss when they’ve been passed over for a promotion. They’re often told, “You need to be more strategic”… whatever that means! There could be a number of possible explanations for this… but you can’t always rely on your boss to explain exactly what she means! Let […]

One of the most useful leadership models that I’ve come across in my lengthy career is Situational Leadership Theory. The fundamental premise is that, since every individual is different, and has a different level of capability and maturity, you should adapt your own leadership style to optimize results. This means you have to ‘read the […]

Many CEOs and senior executives talk a good game when it comes to culture change and transformation… it’s almost expected. But, even though they might make the right noises, it doesn’t necessarily mean they have the commitment to culture change to set a higher standard, or generate the level of momentum it would take to […]

Times are tough. Inflation is on the rise, input costs are escalating, and companies are tightening their belts. And, when the pressure is on, it doesn’t take long before companies start to squeeze their suppliers in an attempt to find cost savings. Unfortunately, your suppliers are facing exactly the same pressures you are. Their costs […]

The board of directors is increasingly seen as the accountable body for ensuring ethical, responsible behavior from companies. But we still seem to be witnessing some pretty spectacular failures in corporate governance. To me, this isn’t at all surprising. The board has very little influence over what the management team does on a day-to-day basis. […]

What if your people knew exactly what to expect from you? What if they understood your style, the objectives that drive you, and the things you value the most? Most of us never give our people a window into these answers, and they have to learn what we expect largely through trial and error. I […]

I’m a big believer in avoiding the problems that inevitably emerge when you become too isolated, or spend too much time cocooned in your own little world. I’ve seen lots of companies lose their grip on reality, becoming inefficient and uncompetitive. That’s why I think it’s incredibly healthy to bring ideas and people in from […]

Collaboration is one of the big buzz words of 21st century leadership. It’s almost as if we’ve had a huge awakening about the need for people to exchange ideas, and work together to achieve a common outcome. I hate to be a Scrooge, but this is one of the core principles that underpins the theory […]

Conventional wisdom tells us that we have to put people before profits… that if we look after our people, they will look after our customers, and the business will thrive. Anyone who has the temerity to disagree with this sentiment exposes themself as an uncaring, self-interested sociopath… which, in turn, serves as a reminder to […]