Leadership Blog

Not all leaders are effective decision-makers. So often, I watch good intentions get stuck. Leaders can be smart, they can be insightful, they can be bold, and they can even be strategic in their thinking, and still not be decisive when it’s needed. Effective leaders make these t…

What does innovation mean to you? Do new inventions and lofty plans come to mind? That’s common. So often we think we need to invent the next iPhone or Tesla to be innovative. But that’s just one type of innovation; as organizations, we typically have the most to gain when we con…

In a recent planning session with some Marco leaders, we discussed what words we hope people use when talking about our company. One of the qualities that rose to the top was “generous.”

Every year, I look forward to the holidays and Christmas shopping. For as long as I can remember, I have enjoyed spending time looking for the perfect gift – something meaningful, usually practical and often an item that the person would not get otherwise.

It’s not uncommon to feel a little – or a lot – “crispy” after a busy day, week or month, especially these days. Even the highest performers, with the highest capacities, can get burned out and need a break. Those who are most successful know what they need to do to refresh and r…

High performers almost always credit good mentors for their development and success. I have had many mentors who have influenced me over the years. While I learned a lot from my supervisors, some of my best mentors were not my bosses.

We pride ourselves on having a great place to work and people often hear me comment on the importance of “breaking the fun meter.” Then, the pandemic hit. Like many, our workforce went remote and we faced a series of restrictions. It has left leaders nationwide to wrestle with ho…

I recently attended a golf tournament where the top golfer stepped up for a short chip and pulled out a club that I didn’t expect. It was a hybrid club, which is normally designed for much longer shots. He made a nice shot, leaving me to think, “I should do that.” I’m not a good …

I’ve had to make a lot of hard decisions in my career and in the past few months, they’ve only accelerated. I think I’ve become pretty good at thin slicing an issue and driving toward execution. Some of my most rewarding decisions actually are not the ones that I’ve personally ma…

Are you proud of your team? I mean really proud of your team? Executives often talk about how great their people are and even share they have the best fill-in-the-blank — finance, sales, marketing, operations….