I recall when I first started out as an officer in the military, it took time and me making mistakes to figure out a healthy balance between flexibility and discipline. During one of my first training exercises, I sat back and gave up some of my autonomy, trusting my subordinate leaders to get the job […]
Stepping Up to Uncertainty
In both business and the military, preparing leaders and their teams/units to manage in unpredictable environments – from strategy to tactical execution – is crucial. U.S. military planners have come up with a term to describe dynamic and unstable environments: VUCA. This acronym, which is also now often applied to business, stands for Volatile, Uncertain, […]
The Power of Emotions and Decision Making
A few weeks ago I saw Inside Out, the latest film from Pixar, which premiered in June. Inside the head of the protagonist, a young girl named Riley, five emotions—Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust—act as the governing body responsible for the decisions she must make in her life. The premise of Inside Out is […]
Five Measures to Create Jobs for Countries with High Unemployment
Job creation is one of the most important challenges facing society. This is true from both the social and economic points of view, particularly amid an economic crisis as persistent as the one that hit the Western world in the opening decade of the 21st century. One of the most dramatic consequences of this crisis […]
Negotiating to defend your employees: What do Guardiola and Coppola have in common?
A manager must constantly negotiate. Oftentimes, the most difficult negotiations are the ones that take place within the organization. A manager is also a leader. And as a leader, they are often required to negotiate to retain talent. Negotiating with a superior, on behalf of an employee, is a frequent occurrence in the life of a manager.
Comparisons are still odious
“Have you found a job yet?” This is a very common question when two people know each other and are on the verge of entering the workforce, such as the second-year MBA students at IESE right now, who will be graduating in a matter of weeks. But the answers can vary, depending on who is […]
Mindfulness on the Rise with Backing from Business
“Mindfulness” has become a bit of a buzzword in recent years, often in the form of shallow New Age recipe for feeling good. But it’s worth re-visiting here because science and research are now backing up the physical, psychological and emotional benefits of the practice; benefits which are so extensive as to seem far-fetched. Once […]