Profile

Professional summary

John Baldoni is an internationally recognized leadership consultant, coach, and author of 14 books that have been translated into 10 languages.

John has taught what it means to inspire at the top of a mountain in the Canadian Rockies. At sea level in Orlando, Florida, John spoke to nearly one thousand USAF/JAG commissioned and non-commissioned officers on leadership and communication. And his book, Lead Your Boss, was hailed by Harvard Business Review as a "guide that provides useful advice… [and] is encouraging and inspirational."

In 2018 Inc.com named John a Top 100 speaker. Also in 2018, Trust Across America honored John with its Lifetime Achievement Award for Trust, and Global Gurus named him a Top 30 global leadership expert, a list

Engagement overview

John employs a three-step methodology including assessment,  action planning and evaluation. John also conducts interviews with client colleagues. Coaching  involves a combination of 1:1 meetings and phone conversation.

Clients

• Ascension Health
• Delphi
• Ford Motor Company
• Henry Ford Health System
• Pfizer
• University of Michigan
• U.S. Department of Defense, and more..

Case Studies

The company had done well but was ill-prepared for its next phase of growth. .. Read more

CFO was named to succeed the CEO but lacked the ability to engage effectively with colleagues. .. Read more

COO was identified as the next CEO but lacked the ability to disengage from work beneath his level of management. .. Read more

Insights

Great leaders are often forged during a crisis. They engage directly, but maintain a sense of perspective.

1. First understand what’s going on: Impose order on a chaotic situation by fact-finding and delegating responsibilities.

2. Be quick, but don't hurry: Move with deliberate speed. Acting “jumpy” makes people lose faith in leadership.

3. Set expectations: Communicate the size an... Read more

In the constantly connected world we live in, setting professional boundaries has never been more challenging.

While it may seem as though tending to emails, phone calls, and text messages while on personal time will increase efficiency, it often has the opposite effect. Setting professional boundaries is not only essential for work/life balance, but also for improving the quality of time and a... Read more

"For every complex problem," wrote essayist H. L. Mencken, "there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong."

Too often, managers look for clarity where there is none, and as a result, striving for simplicity merely leads them into a blind alley. Business world is complex and ambiguous. Managers need a healthy tolerance of both.

When a manager gives directions, he or she must make them ... Read more

Topics:

Steve Job's Apple was a great example of a purposeful organization. The leader was focused on one thing — producing well-designed products, for productivity and entertainment. He made sure everyone in Apple was focused on this mission.

Jobs did it through effectively communicating the vision, tying customer benefits to employee contributions, and linking work to results. It takes a candid and... Read more

The first rule of delegation is to delegate for results. That is, you ask people to do something specific to achieve the results the team and the organization needs.
You communicate to others that you are delegating authority and responsibility to this individual.
You make the individual accountable for results and you hold yourself accountable for ensuring the individual has the time, resources a... Read more

Great topic and one I write and lecture on frequently. You are correct that employees are looking for inspiration.

1. Successful organizations that inspire create conditions for people to excel. They provide tools and resources as well as lots of support in the form of coaching and professional development.

2. Such inspiration comes from doing the work which must have three factors: difference, ... Read more

Employee engagement is critical to organizational success.

For all that's written and consulted on the topic, it really comes down to two things: one, do your people want to come to work?; two, do they feel they are making a contribution when they are at work?

Leaders encourage engagement by doing the following:
Instilling purpose -- what we do and why we do it?
Communicating purpose through vis... Read more

Topics:

Great question and challenge. First, let's be honest. Millennials are not more cocky than previous generations; they are not afraid to express it. You teach humility by practicing it. Look to your own behavior. Do you engage in conversations in which you do not know the answers? Do you allow others to express their points of view? Do you accept ideas and suggestions different from your own?

Unde... Read more

Topics:

When it comes to assessing culture there is ONE instrument that stands above all others... The Denison Culture Survey. It's available in multiple languages, too. Simple and easy to administer ... as well as debrief... Read more

Topics:

Good question. The challenge is to speak TO your audience not AT them. That means, you frame your message in language and within the context the audience wants to hear. You speak with respect to the audience and you ask them them for their involvement in the initiative you are seeking them to support. For more check out my brand-new book on this topic "Speaking with Presence." Available everywhere... Read more

Publications

MOXIE: The Secret to Bold and Gutsy Leadership [John Baldoni] Leaders today need to be mindful of their circumstances as well as mindful ... Read more

Once upon a time when we admired someone for their grit and determination we said they had moxie. It's an old-fashioned word popularized in ... Read more

Personal Leadership : Taking Control of Your Work Life, First-time managers are gripped by two overriding emotions: the thrill of being in c... Read more

Do your people know the difference between being a "boss" and being a "leader"? They better! Fact is: Your bottom line is ON the line! It’... Read more

Does your business need more wolf-type managers to be successful? Until I read a delightful New York Times essay by Carl Safina, I would hav... Read more

Before you can understand others you need to spend time walking in their shoes. That saying is so common it may be regarded as trite and the... Read more

What would it take you to stand up and deliver a presentation called, "All My Worst Mistakes"? Sound crazy. Well, it's exactly what Dr. Henr... Read more

"Some guys made heroes out of .,.. In their mind they become impossible to ride." That is Gary Leffew, owner of a bull riding school that be... Read more

You can show someone a better way to do something, but they will not adopt your approach until they trust you.

You will make the best decision you can make. That advice comes from a scene in the movie, 13 Days in October, about the Cuban Missile crisi... Read more

Leadership development is a key reason why executives go through coaching. A second key reason is to learn to develop their sense of presenc... Read more

What do you think the biggest problem facing leaders today is? Sanjog Aul, host of CIO Talk Radio, asked me that question during an off-air ... Read more

A leader's most important job is to communicate. Every day, whether in a meeting or a presentation, a water-cooler conversation or a formal ... Read more

Bill Richardson (Photo credit: Wikipedia) "It's important that when you negotiate with a dictator that you connect personally. You don't neg... Read more

So is the best man for the job a woman? Research by Hay Group, culled from its 17,000-person behavioral competency database in 2012, finds t... Read more

Before you can lead others, you must learn to lead yourself. Yet those tasked with leadership roles must discover what their people - and th... Read more

MATTHEW EISENHUTH (Photo credit: paddynapper) Motive. Passion. Spontaneity. Those are three attributes that a political pollster once told C... Read more

Cover via Amazon Don't show others that you are the smartest person in the room. That is advice that many executives impart to their brighte... Read more

Leading your direct reports is challenging. Leading those over whom you do not have direct authority can be next to impossible. Unless of co... Read more

Among the reasons that companies hire executive coaches is to provide senior leaders with a sounding board. While this is something I have l... Read more

John Baldoni is an internationally recognized executive coach, speaker, and author. In 2012, Leadership Gurus International ranked him #10 o... Read more

"Empathy," writes philosophy professor Jesse Prinz, "is not a major player when it comes to moral motivation." David Brooks, who cites Prinz... Read more

In my research into the origins of organizational purpose one thing impressed me about those leaders in the social service sector. When aske... Read more

To a degree disagreement is a good thing; it is an indication of a healthy relationship when a boss is open to alternative points of view, a... Read more

Lead with Purpose: Giving Your Organization a Reason to Believe in Itself. What would you give to have an entire company full of committed e... Read more

Are leaders born, or made? And what's the single most important quality a real leader should possess? Philosophers and management theorists ... Read more

In a challenging business climate, enterprises look to their leaders. Some situations call for drastic change, while others require the fort... Read more

Every manager on the move wants to have influence at the top in order to get his or her ideas heard and ultimately acted upon. In Lead Your ... Read more

Lead by Example: 50 Ways Great Leaders Inspire Results . The Best Leadership Books of 2008 Taking over the top job, whether it's the CEO of ... Read more

Effective visions push organizations, and the individuals within those organizations, to look outside themselves to see not what they are no... Read more

How Great Leaders Get Great Results, How can you tell a true leader from one who just talks a good game? It's a true leader who makes his or... Read more

Great Motivation Secrets of Great Leaders (POD), How the world's most successful leaders inspire their people to get things done Great Motiv... Read more

Great Communication Secrets of Great Leaders gives anyone from managers to executives an unparalleled opportunity to do just that. John Bald... Read more

Asking questions can be a subtle and effective management tool. But dishing out difficult and harsh question after question to your employee... Read more

In this tough economic environment, it's easy for companies to talk about "returning to the basics" until conditions improve. But some compa... Read more

The last few years have not been kind to the relationship between corporate leaders and their employees. Too many promises have been broken,... Read more

The words a leader speaks are important, of course. But how they're delivered can make all the difference, especially in tough times. After ... Read more

180 Ways To Walk The Motivation Talk is a practical, cost-effective guide for energizing your entire organization to achieve higher levels o... Read more

This is a point that Jon Stewart made in a 2004 interview with Dave Davies on NPR’s Fresh Air. Davies had asked Stewart, who just ended hi... Read more

It is a leader's responsibility to speak truth to power. Learn how to encourage people to speak their minds.

Not being able to enjoy what you have accomplished is a symptom of burnout and it can be fatal to your career. But you are good at what you ... Read more

It is important to make a personal connection when you meet senior people in your organization. This is especially true when presenting to a... Read more

Welcome to the first in a series of short posts on the topic of leadership. I have had the privilege of writing more than 500 posts for some... Read more

A big challenge when presenting in Power Point is the dual task of creating content and delivering authenticity simultaneously. Learn the ba... Read more

Speech delivery, like playing an instrument, is an art that can be mastered; it simply takes a willingness to try and a commitment to speaki... Read more

Find out how can you gain more confidence as a speaker by regarding your audience as your guests.

When you take the stage, you want to own it. Find out how in this new video.

Management is your day job; leadership is your career. Managers by nature are pragmatists; leaders are dreamers. Organizations need both typ... Read more

It is important for a leader to include people in his inner circle whose power does not derive solely from the leader. That is the gist of a... Read more

Smart people who know when to speak up and when to act on their initiatives are a special breed. Don't squander your opportunities by showin... Read more

You've hit your limit of 5 free articles this month. You have a couple of options: GET UNLIMITED ACCESS on HBR.ORG - All of July and August!... Read more

Character is essential to leadership and so educators and executives alike are wise to focus on it.

Motive. Passion. Spontaneity. Three important attributes of leadership.

Change is part of organizational life -- inevitable, unsettling and necessary.

Techniques fiction writers employ to develop characters can provide insight into how managers develop their employees.

Motivation is intrinsic and therefore individuals motivate themselves to succeed. It is up to leaders create conditions for motivation to oc... Read more

Coaching your employees requires commitment. It must be planned in advance, not done off the cuff.

You've hit your limit of 5 free articles this month. You have a couple of options: GET UNLIMITED ACCESS on HBR.ORG - All of July and August!... Read more

You've hit your limit of 5 free articles this month. You have a couple of options: GET UNLIMITED ACCESS on HBR.ORG - All of July and August!... Read more

Getting a presentation ready for prime time can be challenges. Here are three things you can learn to make your presentation more compelling... Read more

You've hit your limit of 5 free articles this month. You have a couple of options: GET UNLIMITED ACCESS on HBR.ORG - All of July and August!... Read more

The most challenging form of leadership is leading those over whom you do not have authority. Influence is critical

Leaders must work hard to enable people to speak truth to power. That is not easy, but it is necessary.

Patience is a virtue that all leaders should practice, even when it is hard to do.

You've hit your limit of 5 free articles this month. You have a couple of options: GET UNLIMITED ACCESS on HBR.ORG - All of July and August!... Read more

John Baldoni speaks about what it takes to make a positive difference in your organization.

John Baldoni offers some techniques for leaders who want to keep their cool when the heat's on.

John Baldoni offers ideas on how to develop your leadership brand in ways that resonate with your authority and authenticity.

A great many organizations invest a significant amount of money in trying to improve themselves. This commitment to getting better is laudab... Read more

Ten years after four airliner crashes in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, many are reflecting on how those events changed the course o... Read more

Check your ego at the door. That was advice producer Quincy Jones gave to the stars of the "We Are the World" music video he produced in 198... Read more

Urgency may be the most over-used word in management. Executives need to be careful when labeling issues as urgent to avoid creating unneces... Read more

There are three action steps all leaders must take to bring people together for common purpose.

Familiarity, as it relates to management, may not breed contempt - but it does contribute to lazy thinking. Almost anyone who works in an or... Read more

Leaders who succeed are competent, confident and composed.

"In a market that's become extremely lean and mean... individuals who have tended to be the senior statesmen of their day are sometimes the ... Read more

Sometimes when you're wondering what to do next in life, good advice can come when you least expect it - like when you're getting your hair ... Read more

I have long admired teachers. The ability to share knowledge and turn it into learning is a gift that I find rich and rewarding. Let me add ... Read more

If you need to make an argument about an issue about which you feel very strongly, don't use rhetoric. Tell a story instead. For a recent ex... Read more

When you suffer a defeat, the tendency to want to withdraw is powerful. That is especially true when the setback occurs in public. The only ... Read more

For more, visit the Communication Insight Center.] When change initiatives fail, the culprit is often a lack of good communication from mana... Read more

There is something about a big snowstorm that brings out the best, or more often the worst, in big city mayors. If, as former Speaker of the... Read more

What do you do if you're a middle manager who sees the big picture but you work for a boss who only focuses on the here and now? That was th... Read more

Everything in moderation. My late father, a physician, always emphasized that to his patients. While Dad was focusing more on what people at... Read more

Leaders use their presence to instill confidence in others and lead with common cause.

Confidence is an attribute that every leader needs to embrace and to foster in others. But when confidence goes too far, it can become hubri... Read more

Feeling frustrated at work, especially late in the day? Most of us feel this way from time to time. The challenge is what to do about it. Do... Read more

There isn't much good that has come out of the Great Recession to date except the humbling of some big egos on Wall Street. However, there m... Read more

If you want to lead others, you need to get comfortable with the concept of power. In my experience, emerging leaders sometimes stumble over... Read more

The other day a senior executive with whom I was working told me that one thing he strove to do was turn "make work" projects into "make wor... Read more

Leaders can sometimes communicate more without words than with them. What matters is poise and conviction. That came to mind as I watched Ke... Read more

In times of crisis people always look for inspirational leaders. What makes for inspiration is subjective, but there is one common element w... Read more

Getting behind an idea means imbuing it with our conviction and our passion. Such commitment is vital when pushing for an initiative or sugg... Read more

Give it to me as a one-page memo! Many managers have received this directive from their bosses when preparing to present an idea. Ronald Rea... Read more

One of the things that can befuddle managers, even experienced ones, is how to make small talk with the big boss. When you are talking about... Read more

You don't get medals for common sense - but perhaps you should get a pat on the back. Edwin van Calker, driver on the Dutch four-man bobsled... Read more

Every leader I know has at least one need in common: a need to connect honestly with others. One way to help foster improved connections is ... Read more

The announcement of Apple's iPad is turning many people's thoughts to the innovations behind big ideas. Innovations such as these play a cri... Read more

If you want to succeed in 21st Century business you need to become a critical thinker. Roger Martin of the Rotman School of Management figur... Read more

With the recession forcing us to make do with what we have, being resourceful is now a necessary skill for today's generation of leaders. It... Read more

With the recession forcing us to make do with what we have, being resourceful is now a necessary skill for today's generation of leaders. It... Read more

What will you do to make a difference in your job this year? This is a variation on a question that Michigan Radio is asking citizens about ... Read more

What will you do to make a difference in your job this year? This is a variation on a question that Michigan Radio is asking citizens about ... Read more

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the King's horses and All the King's men Couldn't put Humpty together again... Read more

To bring people together around a common cause, it is critical that a leader be self aware. Jeff Immelt's recent comments to the cadets at W... Read more

"We do have a conscious say in selecting the narrative we will use to make sense of the world," writes New York Times columnist David Brooks... Read more

"It's okay if other people think you're God, but you're in trouble if you start believing it." David Cornwell, a sports attorney, recalled t... Read more

I've heard executives say that they have never seen things as bad as they are now. Even as the economy shows signs of recovery, it is by no ... Read more

All leaders have a brand. Whether that term is used or not, leaders have an identifiable persona that is a reflection of what they do and ho... Read more

For more, visit the Communication Insight Center.] "Courage, innovation and discipline help drive company performance especially in tough ec... Read more

A majority of managers just don't understand what it means to be a leader. That's a conclusion that I draw from a recent global survey by Mc... Read more

I've written before about the importance of humility as a leadership trait. But, as was recently pointed out to me, humility is an important... Read more

Discover ways you can lead your organization from the middle. You will learn to lead your organization from the perspective of a CEO but wit... Read more

Companies have the right to demand that employees pay attention to their jobs - it is a base requirement for performance. However, as the re... Read more

What about when you are pushed in front of the microphone or given very little prep time for something like an introduction of a guest speak... Read more

How can I sell this idea to my boss? This is something that executive coaches hear regularly. It usually comes from someone seeking to lead ... Read more

As President Barack Obama wrestles with the issue of what to do next in Afghanistan, there is absolutely one thing he cannot do: Make it per... Read more

Ever see an executive fumble an answer to a question from a reporter, or maybe even an employee? Of course, it happens all the time. There a... Read more

During his wrap-up comments after the University of Southern California football team beat Ohio State University in Columbus, Brent Musberge... Read more

For the past ten months or so, I have had the privilege of traveling around North America speaking about what it takes to lead in hard times... Read more

Want to demonstrate that you have what it takes to be an effective leader and have people follow your direction? Be humble! That lesson echo... Read more

September 9 looms as President Barack Obama's next big moment. That evening he will address a joint session of Congress to lay out his argum... Read more

What do Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, and Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, have in common? Not only are both shrewd businessmen ... Read more

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke may not have solved the economic crisis but his reappointment by President Barack Obama demonstrates t... Read more

The health care reform initiative is hitting major roadblocks; unemployment remains a growing concern. The wave of popularity that ushered B... Read more

It has been said that when Republicans wanted to drum up financial support all they had to do was invoke the name of Ted Kennedy in a piece ... Read more

"Even the people who wrote the Bible were smart enough to know, 'tell them a story.' The issue was evil in the world, the story was Noah....... Read more

With the economy in a coma, a pervasive unease has settled on businesses. Executives worry about the state of the company; employees fret ab... Read more

Leave it to a comedian to invert perceptions of the leader-follower dynamic. Jon Stewart recently asked chief White House economic adviser A... Read more

The first time I heard department stores referred to as dinosaurs (e.g. facing extinction) was at least twenty-five years ago, and even then... Read more

The speaker was doing his determined best to continue speaking but the audience had other ideas. Those in attendance were restless and eager... Read more

Want to make better use of your time? You might want to consider taking a nap. A new study from Pew Research shows that one-third of all peo... Read more

The fire chief is clearly displeased. He angrily upbraids his firefighting team for disregarding his direct order to evacuate a building tha... Read more

Emma Sky is a British pacificist dedicated to getting the U.S. out of Iraq. In 2007 she also became a key aide to General Ray Ordierno, the ... Read more

The Pew Research's News Interest Index for a week in July concluded that people surveyed were actually more interested in stories about Mich... Read more

I know two CEOs: one in publishing is a friend; the other in manufacturing is an email correspondent. There is a common bond between the two... Read more

"How can I feel confident when I am speaking?" asked a participant in a recent workshop I conducted. While the question was specific to publ... Read more

Once upon a time Ernest Hemingway was challenged to write a story using only six words. Impossible, some thought. Not for Papa, as Neal Cona... Read more

Sergio Marchionne has lit a fire under Chrysler that is providing a spark of hope to the ailing automaker. From media reports, it seems that... Read more

The recession that has staggered the world economy has leveled the nonprofit world. Endowments have lost significant value, and donations fr... Read more

The other day a good friend of mine called to express the frustration he was feeling about working with his current IT vendor. My friend is ... Read more

There was an excited buzz in the room. By virtue of their animated conversations, it was obvious that these men and women, mostly in their f... Read more

In the months since Barack Obama has taken office, a curious thing has occurred in his communication style. He has toned down the rhetoric a... Read more

Stephen Tyrone Johns died as he lived, helping other people. Johns opened the door for the man who shot him, a white supremacist who opened ... Read more

"I don't know anything about cars," revealed Edward Whitacre in an interview with Bloomberg News given after being named the new chairman of... Read more

Recently on a visit to Toronto I stayed in charming boutique hotel, the Cosmopolitan. Guests who stay in this Zen-styled retreat receive a c... Read more

Last week in Cairo President Barack Obama stated, "So long as our relationship is defined by differences, we will empower those who sow hatr... Read more

In March 2008, Tom Stewart, then editor of the Harvard Business Review, posted nine trends that he believed would influence the future of bu... Read more

Even the Vice President is joining in, or more accurately, piling on. The other day when Joe Biden was delivering the commencement address a... Read more

When the most physically dominant player of his generation goes back to school because he wants to "learn the secrets," it makes news. NBA a... Read more

Last summer Akio Toyoda disappeared from public view. In reality Toyoda, a member of the company's founding family, was very much in view if... Read more

1999 was the year of me! 2009 may be the year of us! At least that is what we may infer from a new survey of seventy executive coaches condu... Read more

Until recently, one of the less-reported aspects of the crisis in the automotive industry is the effect that its radical downsizing is havin... Read more

Congratulations, graduates! The world is a very different place from when you entered your program two years ago. In September 2007, the cap... Read more

"So, if you're sitting up in your office somewhere, how did people think you or others would know? When we didn't know." That's Commissioner... Read more

The man took his job very seriously. He worked hard and rose to the top ranks of his company. When hard times hit, he doubled down his effor... Read more

Politicians on the right and left are quick to label issues. For example, some may call federal assistance to businesses "nationalization." ... Read more

For more, visit the Communication Insight Center.] We need people who can communicate! Raise your hand if you have heard this line at least ... Read more

One thing this recession can provide executives is more time. Typically the pace of business slows during a recession so it creates opportun... Read more

President Barack Obama visited CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia the other day to speak to CIA employees. In doing so, the President was... Read more

Boom! John Madden has retired from the NFL broadcast booth. With an analyst's eye for detail but a storyteller's ear for story, Madden broug... Read more

Sixty-two phone calls! That's what it took a friend of mine, a former executive vice president for national sales, to land a meeting with a ... Read more

While it is never pleasant to see anyone lose a job, especially in these tough times, I was impressed by the swift resignation of Bob Quick,... Read more

Jay Leno brought his act, called the "Comedy Stimulus Show," to the Motor City for two shows this week; tickets were free. A car enthusiast,... Read more

Corporate success rests on good leadership. Or so we all believed. For at least a generation, we have praised corporate executives as exampl... Read more

There have been long-running public service campaigns discussing ways to talk to your children about drugs, sex or even money. I suggest a n... Read more

What is good for General Motors is good for the nation went the saying. It is a distillation of a comment made by former GM chairman, "Engin... Read more

We do not think of ballplayers as sources of management wisdom but perhaps we should do so occasionally. The other day Jonathan Papelbon, th... Read more

Howard Stringer knows a thing or two about crises. As a young man, he found himself serving in the U.S. Army in Vietnam and he wasn't even a... Read more

Make Your Case relies on your insights to help readers solve pressing management problems. You can help by leaving a comment below or by rat... Read more

Well, it wasn't the OK Corral - but there were plenty of shots being taken as Edward Liddy, CEO of AIG (aka the most despised business in Am... Read more

Some people I know work for large organizations that are faced with fiscal challenges, but few doubt their employers' ability to survive lon... Read more

A colleague of mine was talking about the challenge of getting employees to look on the bright side - or as he put it viewing the "glass as ... Read more

One of the exercises I put myself through before promoting a new book is to interview myself about what I have written. No, I am not delusio... Read more

"Every day you read what a terrible age we live in. Well, I've heard that all my life," said Horton Foote in a 1988 interview with Terry Gro... Read more

A commercial real estate developer referred to his company's inability to obtain financing as a "financial Armageddon." An investment pundit... Read more

"I've got good news and bad news," the old joke goes. "The good news is, we've diagnosed your disease. The bad news? It's fatal." That is ho... Read more

While President Obama maintains high popularity ratings, a number of pundits have noted that the president has seemed too downbeat. Gone is ... Read more

Can you have a team comprised of too many smart people? "Sometimes too many geniuses is a problem," said New York Times columnist David Broo... Read more

Maybe we are coming close to hitting bottom. That is a conclusion of the latest McKinsey Quarterly survey of economic conditions. While 75% ... Read more

It is never a good sign when the market drops 380 points on the day you give your first major policy address as Treasury Secretary. But that... Read more

Make Your Case relies on your insights to help readers solve pressing business problems. You can help by leaving a comment below or by ratin... Read more

Whether you like Alex Rodriguez or loathe him, his apology for using performance enhancing substances, was - like Alex himself until the ste... Read more

"As Republicans look for common ground," Mitch McConnell, the Republican minority leader of the Senate said recently, "some will no doubt ac... Read more

The intensity of the public spotlight can be intoxicating, but it can also be uncomfortably hot for swimmers and senators alike. The all-tim... Read more

A colleague of mine sent me an email commenting on how "deflated" her clients were feeling. In a subsequent conversation, she noted that cli... Read more

Roland Burris is at last a U.S. senator. After being appointed by the disgraced governor, Rod Blagojevich, Burris pushed himself forward, de... Read more

President Barack Obama's Inaugural Address put the nation on notice. If we want to get things done, we better work together. "For as much as... Read more

President Barack Obama is rightly considered an exemplary communicator. His rhetorical skills, an ability to paint pictures with words so th... Read more

Toyota Division (USA) cancelled its dealer meeting for 2009 in an effort to save money. According to Automotive News, Toyota had staged its ... Read more

"They're going to pry it out of my hands," was how president-elect Barack Obama described his effort to hold onto his BlackBerry. For Obama,... Read more

Winter is prime time for corporate meetings; these include meetings with dealers, vendors, franchisees, as well as with sales teams. These m... Read more

One of my favorite parts of the Harvard Business Review is the cartoon section. Of course, the articles make the magazine distinguished, but... Read more

"They gave us a whole can of soda" was how my octogenarian mother-in-law explained a recent experience when her plane was kept on the ground... Read more

One of the ways I have fun teaching leadership is to isolate examples of poor stewardship. In accordance with the law of opposites, we somet... Read more

"When UNLV breaks the rules, Cleveland State gets slapped with a penalty." That was a popular saying in the college basketball world two dec... Read more

Take note, managers: Happiness can be passed from person to person, even from strangers. A groundbreaking study by researchers at Harvard an... Read more

It was caused by forces out of our control. That line is not from a 1950s sci-fi movie in reference to aliens taking over the world. Rather ... Read more

"Young leaders and soldiers are not forced to work things out for themselves or to learn to be individually responsible. Not understanding w... Read more

Three issues that executives of the Detroit 3 should have considered before asking Congress for a bridge loan. How we will spend taxpayers' ... Read more

It is not often that the President of the United States is ignored. Stranger still this lack of attention comes at a time when he is deliver... Read more

A colleague of mine, Scott Eblin, likes to ask a question when speaking to groups of high-potential executives. "How many of you are, or hav... Read more

President-elect Barack Obama radiates a cool, steady calmness. Watching him from afar, you cannot imagine him coming down hard on people to ... Read more

The campaign is over; the acrimony must be put aside. America's new president, Barack Obama, must hit the ground running on January 20. He h... Read more

Good news. You still have your job. But don't exhale yet. And especially don't exhale if you're a manager. Recent research presents two reas... Read more

Executives are called on to make tough decisions. In some instances, they will need to explain their reasoning in public. When those situati... Read more

John Baldoni, internationally acclaimed author, executive coach and speaker, discusses his newest book, "Lead By Example, 50 Ways Great Lead... Read more

When times are tough, people want to see their leaders act. Bold statements make headlines but actions provoke results. If an action is to b... Read more

Fear is endemic in an organization facing hard times. But managers should not show fears they feel to their team. It sends the wrong signal ... Read more

One of the joys of teaching in a leadership development program is that we instructors learn from our participants. This was brought home to... Read more

A colleague told recently me a story about a sales professional he knew who was struggling. He was not making his draw and as a result was f... Read more

"Who's next?" is a question that senior executive and succession planning committees consider with regularity. Amid the debate about who can... Read more

"We're shocked, shocked you even get it, pal" smirks the woman into the conference phone thinking that her boss on the other end of the line... Read more

"Since my last report, this employee has reached rock bottom and has started to dig." "This employee is depriving a village somewhere of an ... Read more

The balloons have dropped. The confetti has fallen. And the party faithful have departed. The quadrennial political conventions are over. We... Read more

Bill Clinton is a sore loser. For months after his wife Hillary had lost the Democratic presidential primaries to Barack Obama, he brooded a... Read more

My recent "Three Traits of a 'Me First' Manager" provoked a strong response. Two of you wrote to say that I could be writing about your boss... Read more

"Our people are our most important resource!" That statement or some variant of it can be found in nearly every corporate mission or values ... Read more

"Speaking Truth to Power" was the headline of a cover story in the Economist marking the occasion of the death of Alexander Solzhenitsyn, th... Read more

He has been indicted for perjury, sentenced to jail for not keeping the court informed of his whereabouts, charged with assaulting a police ... Read more

"Most new leaders advance in their careers due their proficiency with technical skills, but they don't necessarily have the leadership abili... Read more

If you are a manager responsible for the fate of a superstar performer whom no one on your team can stand, look at what the Boston Red Sox d... Read more

Barack Obama is back from a semi-world tour that took him from Afghanistan and Iraq to the capitals of Europe, with stops in Israel and Pale... Read more

Bosses who push their people hard often provide what is to them a good excuse: no one works harder than they do. That's what Anthony Weiner,... Read more

Carlos Gomez, the rookie centerfielder for the Minnesota Twins, scooped up the ball and threw so hard to second base that the throw ended up... Read more

One of the toughest things to teach leaders is how to lead when the context and variables are constantly changing. One man who is helping le... Read more

Last spring Brett Favre pulled the plug on his pro football career, saying that he didn't have the heart to play any longer. This July he's ... Read more

One of the emotional impacts of navigating a tough economy is fear. We speak of courage as a virtue, but seldom do we spend enough time cons... Read more

When author and consultant Jim Gilmore talks about authenticity, he's talking about keeping consumer experiences real. To determine the auth... Read more

Okay, I'll admit it. I am a sucker for management research data, especially on trends shaping the modern workplace. Therefore it was with gr... Read more

What if you had to manage George Carlin? I was struck by that question as I reflected on the tributes paid to this comedic legend who blazed... Read more

Want to motivate your employees to demonstrate more initiative and work harder? Conventional thinking suggests that you increase their pay a... Read more

If Tim Finchem, commissioner of the PGA Tour, had any worries prior to June 18, they will pale in comparison to the biggest worry he faces n... Read more

CEOs must be pretty smart to get to where they are. Yet, when defending themselves in a court of law, many claim to be just plain dumb. That... Read more

New managers, and even veterans, struggle with how to get the most out of their employees. Some feel they must be taskmasters, supervising e... Read more

"Fake it until you make it," is a mantra that Senator Hillary Clinton heeds. At least that's according to a column by Maureen Dowd in which ... Read more

We expect good executives to be able to do at least three things well: think, plan and execute, and to be able to do all three in times of c... Read more

Once upon a time the political parties selected the vice presidential candidate, but today the presidential nominee himself has much more in... Read more

Not long ago a reader posted a comment to one of my blogs saying that he was "just a salesman." In a follow-up comment, I replied that good ... Read more

The office of the press secretary to the President of the United States is located halfway between the Oval Office and the press briefing ro... Read more

Acting surprised does not become a senior executive. Rather than engendering support, it does precisely the opposite. It makes an exec look ... Read more

One of the worst things you can do when the chips are down is feel sorry for yourself. This fact was brought home to me in an interview I he... Read more

There are ways to motivate and there are ways to demotivate. What Hank Steinbrenner, a senior executive with the New York Yankees, did the o... Read more

Trust is essential to leadership. A truism indeed. But how trustworthy are we? Is there a way to find out? And can trust be measured? Those ... Read more

Barack Obama said that John McCain had "lost his bearings." The comment was in reference to McCain's calling Obama the favored candidate of ... Read more

It is the mightiest platform for weaponry ever devised - the nuclear powered aircraft carrier. A carrier is not simply a finely tuned orches... Read more

Executives are on the move, perhaps now more than ever. A global study by Booz Allen reported CEOs were turning over at the rate of 15% annu... Read more

Two prominent men are on publicity tours this week. Both are individuals of great accomplishment, one in law the other in religion. However,... Read more

Every year newspapers run a selection of university commencement addresses from notable - and not so notable - speakers from around the coun... Read more

So often when things go wrong, we blame a failure of communications. Communication missteps contribute to poor product launches, lousy custo... Read more

The praise from both sides of the political aisle for Barack Obama's speech on race was generally positive. Both former presidential aide Da... Read more

Jerry Yang continues to tell Microsoft that he's not interested in selling Yahoo. Hillary Clinton refuses to heed calls for her to exit the ... Read more

Dilbert is right. Managers are incompetent, worse even than the managers themselves realize. That was the conclusion of a well-known study p... Read more

You've hit your limit of 5 free articles this month. You have a couple of options: GET UNLIMITED ACCESS on HBR.ORG - All of July and August!... Read more

"I'm just going to sit there!" was how my 15-year-old niece explained her pending summer job as a receptionist in her father's photo studio.... Read more

You never know what's going to inspire you to think about leadership? In particular, I was surprised that a Dolly Parton record did it for m... Read more

With each passing day, there's more news that the economy is weakening. Factory orders go down. Consumer spending decreases. The sub-prime s... Read more

Managers know what it takes to motivate and retain good people, but almost every manager forgets from time to time, usually in moments of st... Read more

With the rise of Barack Obama's campaign, the inevitable discussion of charisma arises. Kate Zernike of The New York Times reported recently... Read more

Too often we see character, certainly in management circles, in reference to lack of it. That is, some CEO or CFO or senior executive has be... Read more

"Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that." So said Scottish soccer manager ... Read more

There will be plenty of piling on the New England Patriots today, due to the team's loss in yesterday's Super Bowl, but let's not cast asper... Read more

This past month has seen two leaders demonstrate that they're more concerned with themselves than with the people they supposedly represent.... Read more

You wake up to news that the markets in Europe are falling. You go to sleep with the news that the Asian markets are tanking. In between the... Read more

Passion gets you up in the morning; it is the fuel that drives you to immerse yourself in your work and deliver results. Compassion is what ... Read more

Testimonials

John Baldoni is one of the organizational thinkers that I respect the most. His ideas are practical - and he can help make sure that you have an impact in your organization.

Marshall Goldsmith, Bestselling Author & Speaker Stakeholder Centered Coaching