Leadership

State Leaders: Look to Others’ Experience Before You Leap

How do we know if states (or my state) are acting efficiently with tax dollars and if programs or initiatives are working? Surprising, we know little from the states themselves. “Of course, our programs are working,” say the elected politicians! “Our programs are more effective than ever!” say the myriad of special interest groups clamoringRead… Read more »

A Pivotal Period for Afghanistan: Interview with Larry Sampler, assistant to the USAID Administrator for Afghanistan and Pakistan

In advance of the Afghan Presidential election run-off scheduled for June 14, Larry Sampler, assistant to the USAID Administrator for Afghanistan and Pakistan join me on The Business of Government to explore how USAID has sought to promote stability and order in Afghanistan and what is USAID’s three-fold transition strategy. The following is an excerptRead… Read more »

Safety First

Have you seen Simon Sinek’s 2014 TED talk, Why good leaders make you feel safe? He said, “In the military, they give medals to people who are willing to sacrifice themselves so that others may gain. In business, we give bonuses to people who are willing to sacrifice others so that we may gain.” HeRead… Read more »

10 Truths About Change Management

As an Organizational Development (OD) and Change Management practitioner, I often find myself having conversations with leaders regarding change management – what it is and what it isn’t. Last week I wrote about 10 change management myths. This week it’s time for some truths. So what are some hard truths about change management? Change isRead… Read more »

To Infinity and Beyond – Or At Least to Savings

Space: the final frontier. When you look into the night sky, up at the stars, you can’t help but dream of exploration. A trip to the moon. A map of the constellations. A ride on a solar flare. But in 2011, NASA changed the space game: they terminated the space shuttle program. But that didn’tRead… Read more »

The Process of Absolutely Everything: Powering the Internet of Things

Let’s go through your typical workday. You wake up early, probably to your alarm clock or coffee maker. Maybe you catch up on news by scanning sites and blogs online or on your smartphone during your commute. If you drive, you might use certain apps like Waze to navigate through traffic. When at work youRead… Read more »