Mike Myatt
Why Your CEO Just Doesn’t Get It
* This column was originally published on Forbes.com Quality leadership or a lack thereof is easy to spot if you know what to look for. The problem is most people don’t know what to look for in a leader, and according to a recent study...
Leadership and Memorial Day
Is Memorial Day weekend just another holiday, or does it mean something more to you? While this weekend simply signifies a long awaited prelude to summer for some, it is much more than that for others. As a veteran and lifelong student of leadership...
Where J.C. Penney And Ron Johnson Went Wrong
It's not hard to lead talented people with an aligned vision who fall under the umbrella of an iconic brand that has a cult-like consumer following. This describes Ron Johnson's role as head of Apple's retail operation prior to assuming the CEO role at...
It’s Not Impossible – It Just Hasn’t Been Done Yet
How many times in your career have you witnessed someone say, "that's impossible – it simply can't be done." Perhaps you've even been guilty of uttering such a phrase yourself. Here's the thing – leaders don't accept impossibility as a valid thesis. If you...
Why Marissa Mayer Will Fail At Yahoo
Marissa Mayer is a case study in what NOT to do as a new CEO. While she's clearly under intense pressure to pull Yahoo out of what many see as a death spiral, making rookie mistakes is not going to help her cause. Being...
100% Of Companies Have This Problem
Process… just the mere use of the word can spread fear and panic in the workplace. This sad reality exists for a reason - 100% of companies unnecessarily suffer from a process problem. They suffer to varying degrees, but they are nonetheless suffering. The...
Leading In An Avalanche
The point I want you to take away from the video above and the text that follows is an avalanche need not always end in disaster. Pushing the envelope is something all leaders must get comfortable with. It's when leaders push themselves and those...
Leadership & President’s Day
Since we're headed into President's Day weekend, I thought I'd re-post a piece that examines the leadership characteristics of the two Presidents for which the holiday is celebrated; George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln. It's an astute person who studies history and then applies the...
Attitude Reflects Leadership
My question for you today is a simple one: "How's Your Attitude?" Show me a CEO with a bad attitude and I'll show you a poor leader. While this sounds simple enough at face value, I have consistently found one of the most often...
Leadership Means Facing Challenges Head-on
Many would say if you're in the leadership business, you're also in the business of dealing with adversity. Regardless of where you are in your life and your career, I can promise you one thing; you will consistently be faced with challenges and obstacles...
Leaders: Stop Trying to Be Efficient
Let's cut right to the chase; stop focusing on being efficient – it's a waste of time. Nobody other than perhaps you really cares how efficient you are, but everyone cares how effective you are. Not only do they care how effective you are,...
Leadership And Making Choices
Choice; it's a simple, yet critical aspect of leadership. Academics and business theorists often gloss over the basics of leadership preferring to trivialize their importance. It's far too easy for those with an elitist approach to leadership to dismiss simple as sophomoric, and obvious...
No Excuses = Real Leadership
Leaders don't offer, nor do they accept excuses. True leadership demands the character to demonstrate personal responsibility for one's actions, and the courage to hold others accountable for theirs. Excuses attempt to conceal personal or professional insecurities, laziness, and/or lack of ability. They accomplish...
Leadership, Influence & Relationships
Have you ever wondered why some people have more influence than others? It's because they invest more "in" others. Those with influence have built into others through some form of consistent direct or indirect contribution. Those with the greatest amount of influence almost always...
Why Your Leadership Is Overrated
How are your leadership skills? Likely not as good as you think. There's no shortage of independent empirical data generated over the years supporting the fact most people tend to overrate their leadership ability. The best leaders the world has ever known had room...
Leadership Isn’t About Checking Boxes
Today's post is a short rant, but one every leader should take to heart – STOP CHECKING BOXES. To believe leadership can be reduced to task management is simply flawed thinking. Here's the thing – you can manage to a list, but you certainly...
Leadership and Conflict
Here's the thing - leadership and conflict go hand-in-hand. There's no getting around the fact leadership is a full-contact sport, and if you cannot address conflict in a healthy, productive fashion then you should not be in a leadership role. I would submit effectively...
Strategy, Capability & Really Bad Advice
Today's post is a rather short rant, but one I felt compelled to put forth. I just finished reading an article where the author (a self professed innovation guru) recommended strategy be aligned with capability, and that to allow ambition to exceed capability is...
Extreme Makeover – Leadership Edition
The fastest transition from inept to adept occurs when leaders turn the topic of change on themselves. When was the last time you changed something about you? Not someone or something else, but your thinking, your philosophy, your vision, your approach, your attitude, or...
Change: 3 Essentials For Every Leader
By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth The sustainability of any organization hinges on leadership's ability to understand, embrace, and implement change. Whenever leaders are surveyed about what keeps them awake at night, "change" is usually at or near the top of the list....