I write and speak a lot about the importance of having strong corporate values. I believe when a company is truly leading by its values, there is only one boss—the values. In light of this, I challenge you to think about something: Are you truly leading by your values? Now, don’t worry, I’m not underestimating […]
What Great Leaders Know and Do: It’s All About the Values
I’ve enjoyed telling you about the elements of the SERVE model from the first book I wrote with Mark Miller, The Secret: What Great Leaders Know and Do. Before I explain the final element, let’s review the first four, which I’ve shared over the past several weeks. The S in the SERVE model stands for […]
The Power of Clear Values and a Trusting Environment
I’ve talked often of the importance that values play in achieving your corporate vision. Your purpose as an organization tells you where you want to go as a company, but values tell you how you are going to get there. Clearly defined values provide guidelines for how to make daily decisions that impact your future […]
Remembering Stephen Covey and Zig Ziglar
Two great men who were mentors and friends to me passed away this year—Stephen R. Covey in July and Zig Ziglar just this past week. I’d like to share a few thoughts about these wonderful guys. Stephen Covey was a devoted husband to his wife, Sandra, and dedicated father of nine, grandfather of fifty-two, and […]
Thanksgiving Thoughts from Ken
This week brings one of my very favorite holidays—Thanksgiving. I love it because it’s not focused on gifts and things like that. It’s about what everyone brings to the table. You pass around the turkey and the dressing and all, and it’s a chance for everyone to really express what they are thankful for. I […]
Bounded Set Thinking vs. Centered Set Thinking
(This is the ninth installment in my twelve-part blog series A Leadership Vision for America.) In my last post I stated that business and government can’t solve all of America’s problems by themselves. Ideally, our leaders in Washington would involve every sector of society in problem solving. The three sectors encompass nine different domains: The Public […]
Are the people of America treated as business partners?
(This is the seventh installment in my twelve-part blog series A Leadership Vision for America) I’ve laid out the first secret that would help our leaders bring America back to a healthy state: Create a compelling vision by knowing who we are (our purpose), where we’re going (our picture of the future), and what will guide […]
What are America’s key national goals?
(This is the sixth installment in my twelve-part blog series A Leadership Vision for America) In the past several weeks, I have gone into detail about the first secret our government leaders need to know to improve our system in Washington: Have a compelling vision. For a compelling vision to endure, all three elements—a significant purpose, […]
Do America’s Leaders Have Any Agreed-Upon Values?
(This is the fifth installment in my twelve-part blog series A Leadership Vision for America) Our leaders in Washington first need a compelling vision if they are going to move this country in a positive direction. In recent posts I’ve covered two elements of a compelling vision: A significant purpose—what business we are in as a […]
Leadership is Not About You
As a leader, you should never start thinking that leadership is all about you. When things go well, a great leader doesn’t look in the mirror and pound himself or herself on the chest and say, “Aren’t I fabulous?” A great leader looks out the window and gives other people the credit. Get your ego […]