Too often we forget what creates customer loyalty: what it is about a business and its leaders or owners that resonate with a community and causes them to take action when needed. In a small town in Orange County California, customers are having a chance to demonstrate how a community responds to a business owner […]
read more »by Gael O’Brien (Reprinted with permission from Business Ethics Magazine 8/26/18) An abundance of research on incivility points to the mountain we need to scale. Incivility (which includes behavior or language that is rude, disrespectful, offensive or demeaning) is on the rise. It’s also contagious – which is why it’s called “the incivility bug” – […]
read more »Reprinted with permission from my 5/26/18 column in Business Ethics Magazine Leaders who believe they have a responsibility to create conditions so that employees can flourish aren’t altruists. They’re just good leaders equally committed to maximizing financial success. They know the two are connected. They also know engagement occurs when employees feel accepted and […]
read more »We know that fostering the right culture promotes engagement, nurtures innovation and fuels both purpose and profit. The key word here is “right” culture. It is about the desire to pursue what enables people and financial results to flourish together. According to the Fortune Magazine commentary on the Best Companies to Work For 2018 list […]
read more »Thanksgiving invites our being more aware of others’ impact on us. How it feels to be seen, heard and valued for who we are. When we think about gratitude, it is people who generally first come to mind: those who have made a positive difference in our lives. Events this year have shown what happens […]
read more »After eight months of headlines, with likely more to come, Wells Fargo’s consumer fraud (affecting at the very least two million customers) echoes so many other corporate crises….what some of us did isn’t who we are. The drama playing out at the bank underscores the importance of companies regularly addressing how their values and actions […]
read more »Circumstances have caused an increasing number of companies and CEOs to speak out in recent years on hot-button social issues that previously weren’t part of traditional corporate citizenship. For example, nearly 400 companies filed an amicus brief on marriage equity with the Supreme Court, and employers and organizations banded together using economic leverage to fight legislation discriminating on the […]
read more »Benjamin Franklin was brilliant, but in 1789 he forgot to include an essential element in his famous remark, “…in this world nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.” He should have said “nothing can be certain except death, taxes AND dealing with the unexpected.” We use religion and spirituality to deal […]
read more »“A good leader doesn’t only inspire us to have confidence in what they can do. A great leader inspires us to have confidence in what we can do.” Together is Better: A Little Book of Inspiration (Simon Sinek, 2016) The adage “what we focus on, we get more of” is as true in leadership as anything. And, conversely, […]
read more »Update: See my 12/10/16 Business Ethics column on Where Wells Fargo Goes From Here . Update: In October 2016 Timothy Sloan replaced Chairman/CEO John Stumpf, becoming CEO and President. The chairman role was split and given to independent lead director Stephen Sanger. Update: September 27, 2016: Wells Fargo Independent directors issued a statement they will […]
read more »Gael’s coaching and consulting made me aware of three issues that were holding me back from personal and business growth: I reexamined my approach to problem solving, how to attract and develop peak performers in my organization in the right positions, and how to develop my leadership skills to a higher level…..”