Lately in our business, I have observed a disturbing trend. Companies are on a shorter planning cycle, and long term planning and visionary thinking is difficult to achieve. However, visionary planning informs every future decision, including hiring the right talent on both your management team and board. Too few leaders spend time talking about these [...]

Our client, Montefiore Medical Center and The Care Management Company has been selected as one of the premier healthcare organizations nationwide to participate in the ACO Pioneer Initiative sponsored by CMS. We are proud to support the leadership in this important Initiative – as they improve care experience, increase population health and reduce healthcare expense.

Successful leaders live by fundamental leadership principles with discipline and focus. They commit to continuous learning and strive to have their behaviors serve as a reflection of their values — setting the standard and expectations for others in your credit union. The CEO’s communication philosophy and actions sets the tone, whether it be openness with [...]

Work-life balance. Perhaps this term should just be called Balance.  Whatever you call it, I believe in renewal and perspective which provide us with the energy and insights to innovate and remain clear in our vision of what’s important in both our professional and personal lives. Recently one of our Senior Financial Consultants, David Rudofsky, [...]

An often-cited marketing maxim is that women control approximately 80 percent of all consumer purchases. They are the ultimate consumer and decision-makers, and should be taken seriously. While attending a private briefing with Shimon Peres, president of the State of Israel, my wife, Harriet, asked him what he believed was the greatest achievement of the [...]

As we begin a new year, it is critical to establish that this represents a new opportunity. Despite current economic times, the beginning of 2010 is no different. Successful people make resolutions in their personal lives and their professional lives; they seize the moment whatever it may be. Those who sit aside and decide to [...]

President-elect Barack Obama is assembling his administration’s team. He is moving quickly, as the country wants and needs him to. As he makes his appointments, it appears he is acting as an effective leader and manager. Managing effectively should be at the top of our priorities during these tough economic times. It is a critical [...]

The reality of today’s workforce is that virtually every industry is experiencing a skills and labor shortage. The situation is only going to get worse, as the nation’s 78 million baby boomers start dropping out of the workforce. Every day, 11,000 boomers turn 50 years old, and the first boomers will turn 64 in 2010. [...]

It strikes me that in my professional life, much of the value I bring comes from my willingness to respectfully, but directly ask tough questions. As a consultant to chief executives and a public board member, it’s a big part of what I’m paid for. To start the New Year, I want to offer you [...]

The Commerce Bank Championship this month offers an unusual chance to talk with world-class golfers “outside the ropes.”   In anticipation of this event,  I was given the a similar opportunity to speak with golf great Curtis Strange, who will be competing in the championship, which runs June 25 – July 1 at the Eisenhower Park [...]