If you do an Internet search on leadership and change management the results might surprise you. First of all, you’ll find thousands of citations returned but perhaps that’s to be expected.  I was a bit taken aback by the sheer number of academic programs, institutes and centers that are researching and instructing on leadership and change management.  But what really surprised me was the fact that you could get a PhD in Leadership and Change Management from a number of institutions.  I made a note to go back and see which programs “transfer” real world credit. Change is hard.  But before we even get to the hard part we have to acknowledge that change is necessary.  Sometimes the necessary part smacks…

The day I announced I was leaving my company I was teary and euphoric. If I had any reservations about my decision, the die was cast. I asked my son to have lunch with me and I drank too much. I pouted out loud a bit as one of the regional executives who attended my announcement meeting in case any staff member had questions about the transition just walked out afterwards, not thinking it was important to note that people were actually crying as I said goodbye. The day after my last day – or the first day of the rest of my life – I bought a new iMac, met with my accountant, met with my attorney, filed papers to register…

When I was being interviewed for the top job at MRI, the process was long and arduous.  United Information Group owned the company at that time, and, toward the end, I was flown to London to undergo a series of interviews and assessments with the UIG consultant.   I was offered the job and up to my neck in problems when I received a packet with my “results” in the mail.  The assessments and interviewer had scored me on a number of dimensions: intellectual ability, thinking style, relationship management, drive and resilience, change capability, risk management, teamwork, commercial and customer skills and international potential.   But it was the assessor’s comments that left me fascinated and disturbed.  I won’t bore you with all…

Today is my birthday and on my birthday I wear a tiara.  No kidding. I wear it on the subway and the bus and to client meetings.  Last year I wore it to the mall, much to the delight of the sales staff in Sephora where boys and girls took turns trying it on and taking selfies (no fear – I carry a spare just for sanitary reasons when the occasion requires sharing). Over the years it’s become an amusing joke among my staff and my friends in the industry.   Why do I do it – other than the fact that I am an attention-seeking extravert who is an only child and grew up listening to Sally Starr sing that your…