Execution

17 Aug, 2011

Leadership & The Tea Party

By Randy Pennington|2016-10-29T15:29:53+00:00August 17th, 2011|Accountability, Government & Politics, Integrity & Ethics, Leadership, Personal Development|

What’s not to like? Millions of like-minded people promoting limited federal government, individual freedoms, personal responsibility, free markets, and a return of political power to the states and the people. How could anyone argue that the Tea Party is a bad thing? Oh wait! That can’t be right. The Tea Party is actually millions of small-minded people who engage in racist behaviors and want to take away the power of the federal government to set policy and help society by cutting the funding to every social program that they don’t like. So which is it? The answer is, “It depends on your point of view.”

11 Jul, 2011

Leading is a Matter of Trust

By Randy Pennington|2014-10-19T22:38:13+00:00July 11th, 2011|Accountability, Business Strategy, Corporate Culture, Integrity & Ethics, Leadership, Results|

“We don’t trust them!” This phrase has become synonymous with a prevalent, if not majority, response when people are asked about their leader’s ability to affect positive change. Almost continuous rounds of cost-cutting; feelings that [...]

4 Jul, 2011

The Return of Responsibility

By Randy Pennington|2016-10-29T15:29:54+00:00July 4th, 2011|Accountability, Government & Politics, Integrity & Ethics, Leadership, Personal Development, Results|

The trials of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and disgraced self-help guru James Arthur Ray both ended in guilty verdicts. Blagojevich was found guilty on 17 of 20 counts of corruption. Ray was found guilty of three counts of negligent homicide from deaths in a sweat lodge ceremony. And though some would argue that the verdicts in both cases were never in doubt, the results could have gone either way. Here are three lessons leaders can learn from these two seemingly unrelated cases:

21 Jun, 2011

Milestones & Goals

By Randy Pennington|2016-10-29T15:29:54+00:00June 21st, 2011|Accountability, Business Strategy, Corporate Culture, Leadership, Personal Development, Results|

Seventeen days can make a tremendous difference. The date was May 25, 2011. The Dallas Mavericks became the National Basketball Association’s Western Conference Champions for only the second time in its thirty-one year history. The 17,000-plus fans were anxious for a celebration. The team held up the trophy, smiled, posed for the obligatory photo-op, and then exited the arena – leaving ESPN reporter Doris Burke looking for someone to interview.

2 Jun, 2011

Engage Your People to Engage Your Customers

By Randy Pennington|2016-10-29T15:29:58+00:00June 2nd, 2011|Accountability, Business Growth, Business Strategy, Corporate Culture, Employee Retention, Execution, Innovation, Leadership, Performance Improvement, Personal Development, Results|

Right now – as you are reading this sentence – 70 percent of your staff are alienating your customers, keeping you from achieving your goals, or costing your company money that could be used for more productive uses. Scary, huh?

5 May, 2011

Are You NCO Material?

By Randy Pennington|2016-10-29T15:29:59+00:00May 5th, 2011|Accountability, Corporate Culture, Integrity & Ethics, Leadership, Performance Improvement, Personal Development, Results|

The core of every noncommissioned officer’s commitment is articulated in the NCO Creed. It defines how each member of the NCO Corps views his or her responsibility as a leader. And, there is no better model for your success.

20 Apr, 2011

Lead the Experience

By Randy Pennington|2014-11-02T18:50:23+00:00April 20th, 2011|Business Growth, Business Strategy, Corporate Culture, Execution, Innovation, Leadership, Personal Development, Results|

Why do certain companies, brands, and even people stand out in a world where everyone is basically saying and doing the same things? For the most part, we all get it wrong. We focus on the tools – like marketing campaigns, social media, and advertising – and ignore the goal – to make customers want to do business with us. Here are three things you can do to define and deliver an experience that sets you apart:

15 Apr, 2011

The Rewards of Staying Stupid

By Randy Pennington|2016-10-29T15:29:59+00:00April 15th, 2011|Business Strategy, Corporate Culture, Execution, Innovation, Integrity & Ethics, Leadership, Results|

I published a piece titled “Stupid Has Its Own Momentum” in November 2010. Since then, examples of stupid having its own momentum. have continued ... and continued ... and continued. Stupid maintains its own momentum because there are incentives to do so. Here are three powerful rewards to stay stupid:

29 Mar, 2011

R-E-S-P-E-C-T: A Rant

By Randy Pennington|2016-10-29T15:29:59+00:00March 29th, 2011|Communication, Government & Politics, Integrity & Ethics, Leadership, Personal Development|

The debate of divergent ideas consumes the airwaves. It streams across the Internet in a multitude of bits and bytes; and it populates the pages of the print media. Most important, it occupies the time, energy, and resources of our leaders. So how is the debate working so far? Are you seeing results? The absence of respect – for the process, the opposition, and the people being governed – is a prime culprit in our failure to act and deliver results.

22 Mar, 2011

Ask a Better Question

By Randy Pennington|2016-10-29T15:29:59+00:00March 22nd, 2011|Accountability, Business Growth, Business Strategy, Corporate Culture, Execution, Government & Politics, Innovation, Leadership, Performance Improvement, Results|

Southwest Airlines faced a dilemma early in its operation—a cash shortage was forcing it to sell one of its four airplanes. The implications are obvious—selling the airplane generates cash for operations and cuts capacity to generate future revenue. Government leaders are facing their version of this challenge in budget meetings across the country. Should we raise taxes and fees in a difficult economy, or do we cut services at a time when they may be needed most?

15 Mar, 2011

How Public Sector Unions Could Work & Why They Won’t

By Randy Pennington|2016-10-29T15:30:00+00:00March 15th, 2011|Corporate Culture, Government & Politics, Leadership, Results|

Public employee unions could significantly increase their chances for voter support by taking the lead – or at least working together with their opponents – on the following actions: 1. Take strikes, work stoppages, and slowdowns off the table. The public has a right to expect that its public agencies continue to function even if there is a disagreement over terms of the contract. In return for this, public employee unions should receive the right for expedited arbitration over violations of the contract.

8 Mar, 2011

Why Public Sector Unions Could Become Extinct

By Randy Pennington|2016-10-29T15:30:00+00:00March 8th, 2011|Corporate Culture, Government & Politics, Leadership|

The standoff between Republican elected officials and their Democratic colleagues over the roll and scope of collective bargaining with public sector unions has escalated to the point where rhetoric has overtaken reason. So let’s look at what this means and why public sector unions could become extinct.

1 Mar, 2011

Getting Past Perception

By Randy Pennington|2016-10-29T15:30:00+00:00March 1st, 2011|Communication, Corporate Culture, Government & Politics, Integrity & Ethics, Leadership, Personal Development|

Fourteen senators leave the state. 60,000 plus show up to demonstrate. And, the next thing you know there’s a national debate on the role of public employee unions in the state budget crisis occurring throughout the country. Those who support the unions see this as a not-so-veiled attempt to alter the essence of collective bargaining and limit the people’s right to protest. Union members see it as a fundamental challenge to their right to organize, and in some cases, a violation of their contract. The union leadership no doubt sees it as payback for supporting Democratic and pro-labor candidates. Those who support the various initiatives view this as a much needed step to reign in spending that is out of control. They view unions as – at worst - the enemy that have secured salary and benefits that are unavailable to them as private sector employees. “Why should government employees experience no pain when they are out of work,” they ask. There are probably even Republicans who view this as the perfect opportunity to weaken a political opponent. The problem with perceptions is that it only takes one act to prove you are right. As the saying goes, “All Indians walk in single file. I know that to be true because the one I saw was doing it that way.”

31 Jan, 2011

Leading in the Face of Crisis

By Randy Pennington|2014-11-02T18:53:09+00:00January 31st, 2011|Business Growth, Business Strategy, Communication, Execution, Leadership, Leading & Managing Change|

Every crisis presents us with an opportunity to lead or shirk from service. It either paralyzes us from moving forward, or it pushes us to take action. Here are five actions you can take to lead your organization or team through tough times:

27 Jan, 2011

A Love Affair With Results

By Randy Pennington|2016-10-29T15:30:00+00:00January 27th, 2011|Business Growth, Corporate Culture, Execution, Leadership, Results|

The edge is a deep passion for competing, contributing, and yes, winning. It’s being dissatisfied with the status quo and never resting on your laurels. It is caring so much that you work your tail off to deliver better results tomorrow than you did today. Passion for delivering results drives learning and embracing change as a way of life. It’s an attitude not a skill.

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