tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-103703392009-07-05T15:43:36.044-04:00This on-line journal captures my (Dr. Linda E. Pickard) reflections on personal and organizational leadership based on my recent learnings, discussion with peers in my network, and from the rich pageant of daily news events.Dr. Linda E. Pickardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912492213716209559lpickard@pickardlaws.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10370339.post-23852731587859755832009-07-05T15:40:00.003-04:002009-07-05T15:43:36.060-04:00

When Michael asked for something, he got it. This was the great tragedy.----Uri GellerMichael Jackson’s great talent is undeniable. So is his tortured persona. Tragically, Jackson’s story is an extreme example of disaster catalyzed by the absence of accountability with some healthy built-in checks and balances.Organizational life can be frustrating and not always fulfilling. But one

Dr. Linda E. Pickardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912492213716209559lpickard@pickardlaws.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10370339.post-30814854167539780672009-06-28T11:51:00.001-04:002009-06-28T11:53:12.664-04:00

Iran and Michael Jackson have one thing in common: the power of the Internet to report in warp speed the good with the bad. Citizen journalism is here to stay thanks to the Internet. With such transparency, leaders are faced with a demand for openness and transparency not necessarily within their comfort zones. This is a steep learning curve! All action is local, so the saying goes. Taken

Dr. Linda E. Pickardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912492213716209559lpickard@pickardlaws.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10370339.post-8462426608767166742009-06-20T17:28:00.002-04:002009-06-20T17:32:16.408-04:00

I have a cartoon from one of the newspapers showing President Barack Obama responding to a request from Prime Minister Stephen Harper: “Well, I’ll cough on you if you insist, but I don’t think charisma is contagious. Now with additional Obama feats such as swatting a fly successfully within the tenth of a second required and charming the press corps with skillfully delivered good jokes, the bar

Dr. Linda E. Pickardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912492213716209559lpickard@pickardlaws.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10370339.post-75864864884021864982009-05-30T21:23:00.004-04:002009-05-30T21:29:48.741-04:00

Each president is in a certain way a prisoner of the structure of power.---Hugo ChavezUntil former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush squared off in a debate in Toronto, I believed that the relentless thickening of the border between the United States and Canada was due mainly to ignorance, paranoia and myopia. I also believed that if we could “hit” those roadblocks head on with evidence

Dr. Linda E. Pickardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912492213716209559lpickard@pickardlaws.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10370339.post-8751314313554091342009-05-17T23:01:00.002-04:002009-05-17T23:05:06.591-04:00

Attack ads work, so say marketing researchers. Like the movie “Doubt”, they inject a little unease about the person being attacked into the minds of some or many. We are assumed to be like Pavlov’s dog open to having our minds programmed. Is this OK with us? Do we accept this as par for the course to advance our society?Evolutionary psychologists might know why. Could it be that attack ads, of

Dr. Linda E. Pickardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912492213716209559lpickard@pickardlaws.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10370339.post-71039739532607791272009-04-30T16:16:00.003-04:002009-04-30T16:20:18.959-04:00

The “revolutionary physics” of our world can’t be managed by thinking in black and white. Are we convinced yet? The relentless onslaught of “surprises”, such as the Mexican swine flu, underscores that big brains are needed. Not just among leaders and managers. All of us. Whether we like it or not, we are being forced to anticipate, adapt and act speedily in the face of surprises and work harder

Dr. Linda E. Pickardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912492213716209559lpickard@pickardlaws.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10370339.post-70742760908404899332009-04-15T09:55:00.004-04:002009-04-15T10:30:06.399-04:00

The warming of hearts and the shouts of joy from Susan Boyle’s extraordinary appearance on Britain's Got Talent reality TV show over the Easter weekend happened at just the right time. In a world searching for its moral compass, she symbolizes all that we must do to open up opportunities for each and every person on this planet.The gold that lies beneath is everywhere. It has been buried too long

Dr. Linda E. Pickardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912492213716209559lpickard@pickardlaws.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10370339.post-40719608325018262202009-04-06T20:41:00.001-04:002009-04-06T20:43:49.057-04:00

The economic crisis we’re facing is not at root the result of too much fear but too little.---Thomas Homer-Dixon, (April 4, 2009), The Globe and MailHope versus fear, optimism versus pessimism. Two styles of oratory. What should a leader do?Some like Homer-Dixon say we need to strike up the fear band to new noisy levels so that we can see more clearly (reduce our delusional side). Others talk of

Dr. Linda E. Pickardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912492213716209559lpickard@pickardlaws.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10370339.post-39931978253079626322009-03-22T12:12:00.004-04:002009-03-22T12:16:40.909-04:00

Just after writing that the pundits were getting me down, I happened upon a program the next day on complaining less. OK. I’m guilty. I should have been kinder to the pundits. But, I do wish they’d be more constructive!CBC Sunday Morning profiled a Kansas City pastor, Will Bowen, who in 2006 started his congregation on complaining less. He gave out a purple bracelet to anyone who wanted to try:

Dr. Linda E. Pickardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912492213716209559lpickard@pickardlaws.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10370339.post-66368548995402906162009-03-21T20:34:00.002-04:002009-03-21T20:37:47.154-04:00

I’m a news junkie as all things related to leadership fascinate me. But the latest cacophony among the pundits about the effectiveness and management of various bail-out plans is becoming unbearable. It’s like going into a noisy room where everyone is talking over each other and at times screeching. Look around and all you see are white teeth, coiffed heads and perfect make up (for the women). No

Dr. Linda E. Pickardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912492213716209559lpickard@pickardlaws.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10370339.post-349044000887906572009-03-03T13:16:00.003-05:002009-03-03T13:21:06.536-05:00

There is no cure for birth and death except to enjoy the interval.---George SantyanaLessons in life come from surprising places. Husband Richard, who survived a scary heart event in August 2008, returned from one of his cardio-rehab classes with a relaxation CD featuring Eli Bay. That instantly took me back to the early days of my career as a dietitian and public health nutritionist when I was

Dr. Linda E. Pickardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912492213716209559lpickard@pickardlaws.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10370339.post-20362348898767300422009-02-25T19:02:00.004-05:002009-03-03T13:16:50.260-05:00

We refused to leave the problems of our common welfare to the winds of chance and the hurricanes of disaster.---Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR)I have frequently encouraged leaders to adopt “Big Hairy Audacious Goals” (BHAGS). Otherwise called stretch goals, they set a challenging line of sight for everyone in an organization, harnessing and focusing energy. I picked up the strategic thinking

Dr. Linda E. Pickardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912492213716209559lpickard@pickardlaws.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10370339.post-73351994949703771802009-02-11T20:59:00.004-05:002009-03-03T13:15:55.696-05:00

Red helps us focus on detail. Blue on creative thoughts. So researchers at the University of British Columbia’s School of Business claim in a study with 600 graduate students published in the Journal of Science.Here’s another “soft” tool for a leader-manager’s tool kit. Decide what you want to achieve and change the setting accordingly as in live theatre.When you want your staff to think

Dr. Linda E. Pickardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912492213716209559lpickard@pickardlaws.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10370339.post-81205584608557747762009-01-29T14:01:00.005-05:002009-03-03T13:15:11.982-05:00

Financial history is a roller-coaster ride of ups and downs, bubbles and bursts, manias and panics, shocks and crashes.---Niall Ferguson, The Ascent of MoneyWe are learning from our current worldwide financial crisis that the assessment of risk and uncertainty are two different concepts, two different thinking modes. Risk relates more to what we already know projected onto a number of future

Dr. Linda E. Pickardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912492213716209559lpickard@pickardlaws.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10370339.post-70130731201664708072009-01-19T23:49:00.005-05:002009-03-03T13:13:46.454-05:00

The world’s in a big dance. Everyone is a belle at the ball of an unprecedented historical event. For those that get suspicious when walking into a room of smiling people, this must be unnerving. Yet, the warmth and goodwill swirling around our feet and heads seems infectious. Is it possible that the more generous feelings towards each other catalyzed by the arrival of Obama at our doorstep are

Dr. Linda E. Pickardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912492213716209559lpickard@pickardlaws.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10370339.post-36058781869185833602009-01-05T11:41:00.005-05:002009-03-03T13:12:32.344-05:00

When I happened upon a CBC documentary on Barack Obama’s visit to Africa in August 2006, I couldn’t help think---is he for real? Over and over again he said to the ordinary folks, “I am here to listen and learn.” Frankly, I couldn’t believe my ears. The words almost sounded strange because they have not been commonly used by George W. Bush. “I’m the decider” has been more his style and

Dr. Linda E. Pickardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912492213716209559lpickard@pickardlaws.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10370339.post-23061381600065420212008-12-07T17:24:00.004-05:002009-02-27T18:23:45.120-05:00

Engagement is the means by which there can be a shift in caring for the well-being of the whole, and the task of leader as convener is to produce that engagement.---Peter Block, Community: The Structure of Belonging, p. 87.Engagement precedes problem-solving, persuasion, commitment, accountability and responsibility. It’s so powerful in its manifestation that the term “engaged” enjoys a permanent

Dr. Linda E. Pickardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912492213716209559lpickard@pickardlaws.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10370339.post-30905587391899206012008-11-30T14:13:00.002-05:002009-02-27T18:27:17.181-05:00

Every interaction is a form of confrontation---a clash of priorities, a struggle of dignities, a battle of beliefs.--- P. Koestenbaum, In LaBarre, 2000, p. 222White water rafting is an apt metaphor for surviving in our current environment. Times of crisis, which keep rolling in one after another, starkly show whether a leader can adapt or not. Times of crisis test the leadership within each of us

Dr. Linda E. Pickardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912492213716209559lpickard@pickardlaws.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10370339.post-41755943091841582272008-11-09T19:36:00.002-05:002009-02-27T18:30:40.843-05:00

The Republicans didn’t have a chance against Obama given the context of fear from which Americans wanted to escape. According to neuroscience, we all hold to a greater or lesser extent two moral world views---conservative and progressive. Sometimes, we hold both at the same time on an issue-specific basis. These modes of thought are hard-wired into our brains through biology and experience. They

Dr. Linda E. Pickardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912492213716209559lpickard@pickardlaws.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10370339.post-39573807480634997962008-10-26T20:52:00.004-04:002009-02-27T18:42:27.507-05:00

If you think life is always improving, you are going to miss half of it.---David WhyteTurbulent times call for special managerial skills---helping teams walk together through the chaos with the confidence that a new and stronger order will arise out of the ashes of the old. Just like a forest fire enables new growth.This is life but we as a rule do not like such unpredictability and uncertainty.

Dr. Linda E. Pickardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912492213716209559lpickard@pickardlaws.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10370339.post-51964428836645668942008-10-22T21:48:00.003-04:002009-02-27T18:38:16.978-05:00

Our fascination with Barack Obama and Sarah Palin underscores the power of emotions in a leader’s “ratings”. That ability to connect is gate number one. Substance comes later as we ponder who will step up to the leadership challenge. Stephane Dion never had a chance as he could not open his emotional gate enough.A story by Peter Newman in the October 22, 2008 Globe and Mail brought the mystery of

Dr. Linda E. Pickardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912492213716209559lpickard@pickardlaws.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10370339.post-37219827409091251732008-09-30T10:36:00.004-04:002009-02-27T18:45:09.072-05:00

These are interesting and exciting times for democracy. Pure-bred capitalism has shown its ugly side. Main Street Canada and America are showing signs of revolt. The spirit of involvement in our collective destiny is gaining momentum, particularly in the United States and judging by media commentary, also in Canada. Perhaps the chasm in values between those who govern and those being governed

Dr. Linda E. Pickardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912492213716209559lpickard@pickardlaws.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10370339.post-24546537520303249792008-09-21T20:59:00.004-04:002009-02-27T18:48:37.236-05:00

What’s the difference between a campaign of ‘hard questions’ about momentous issues and a carnival of lies? Lipstick.---David Olive (September 20, 2008). Toronto StarAs some people like to say, “There’s a reason for everything”. Maybe Sarah Palin showed up in our lives because we needed a little more levity in a generally somber political environment. Fear, violence, climate upheaval and too much

Dr. Linda E. Pickardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912492213716209559lpickard@pickardlaws.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10370339.post-14658875414863208322008-09-01T13:02:00.003-04:002009-02-27T18:51:00.736-05:00

Learning teacheth more in one year than experience in 20, and learning teacheth safely, when experience maketh more miserable than wise…it is costly wisdom that is bought by experience.--- Roger Ascham (1515-1568) in The Street MasterThe listeriosis outbreak traced to one Maple Leaf Foods plant in northern Toronto glaringly shines a light on the ethical and moral dilemmas underlying leadership.

Dr. Linda E. Pickardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912492213716209559lpickard@pickardlaws.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10370339.post-28664634398970675982008-08-26T15:34:00.004-04:002009-02-27T18:53:48.926-05:00

Life seeks to organize so that more life can flourish. Systems are friendlier to life. They provide support and stability. They also provide more freedom for individual experimentation.---Margaret Wheatley, A Simpler Way, p.33.The Chinese have done Canadian Sports a favour. By doing the job so well, they brought to the foreground the serious inadequacies in our system, starting at the political

Dr. Linda E. Pickardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912492213716209559lpickard@pickardlaws.com0