CEO Blog Archive - Page 170 of 171

Recent Articles

Help Educate and Encourage Your Teammates

We each have the ability to be a positive influence on those we encounter. The challenge is believing it really makes a difference. There was an article recently that underscored the idea. It discussed research where a group of students had been followed from the time they entered school. They are now adults. The results of the study revealed that adults who reported they had a teacher in middle school who made a difference in

Howe Q. Wallace January 11, 2012

You Haven’t Failed Until You Quit Trying

Here’s a brief thought for the day: “You haven’t failed until you quit trying.” Some folks are more easily frustrated than others. When something doesn’t come easily, they quit trying. When something involves a long time to learn or to master, they quit trying. When something is done “good enough,” they quit trying. As we take on “lean” projects in our plants, we are trying to take the bad and make them good. We are

Howe Q. Wallace January 6, 2012

Purposefully or Inadvertently?

Did you see where Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of former President Clinton and Secretary of State Clinton, has taken on the assignment of being a newscaster on NBC? I was reading an article and was struck by her story of what motivated her to move into such a career. She said her grandmother, Dorothy Rodham, had challenged her shortly before her death. She told Chelsea, who until that point had dodged any public profile, that

Howe Q. Wallace January 3, 2012

Happy New Year!

In another few hours, 2011 will be done. I want to thank each of you for the effort you put forth toward strengthening our enterprise. There is not one of our many teams who has not made progress this year. I am excited about what 2012 can mean for us. As we continue our path on improving our processes and practices through “lean” thinking, we have the chance to continue to build momentum. So, best

Howe Q. Wallace December 30, 2011

Tips on Giving Feedback

I found a management tip by Harvard Business Review on “giving feedback” that I would like to share with you. Here are the guidelines: Be specific. Feedback needs to be actionable. Use concrete examples to back up your conclusions. Avoid generalized character attacks. Instead, describe the behavior. (My thought: We usually classify the people around us simply. Good, bad. For us, against us. Friend, enemy. Thus, our feedback tends to be simple. The advice to

Howe Q. Wallace December 29, 2011

Merry Christmas

I’ve been saying “Merry Christmas” with purpose this year. My faith is rooted in the birthday of Jesus. I determined this year to not default to a cursory Merry Christmas, a seasonal substitute for “have a good day” as I move on. Instead, I’ve been striving for a bit more connection. This year, when I tell someone Merry Christmas, I want them to feel like they’ve been engaged. First, I’ve been looking at them when

Howe Q. Wallace December 23, 2011

Growth Comes from Being in a “Low” Place

I was listening to a sermon this morning. Pastor Matt Hudson of Journey Church in Mocksville had a guest speaker, Mary Hendrix, with him. Mary had learned twelve weeks earlier that she had a brain tumor. She was describing how her faith was sustaining her. The whole message was chock-full of wisdom. If you would like to listen, go to http://www.thejourney.info/. Remember it’s a sermon, so don’t be surprised about the biblical and God references.

Howe Q. Wallace December 15, 2011

Scrutinize the Reports You Receive

Here’s a lean exercise for you. Many of us get reports via email or by paper on our desk. Do you look at them? Why or why not? I was in a meeting recently where I made reference to a report I was looking at regularly. Immediately, someone told me, “That report doesn’t tell the whole story.” Quickly, we discussed how the report could be improved to tell the whole story. It reminded me. Every

Howe Q. Wallace December 14, 2011

Speak Up with an Idea or Solution

I was visiting with a colleague today who was telling me about some consulting work that he had been doing. He had come across a firm who studies how ideas are developed and used within an organization. One thing he shared I have found to be true. The best ideas have nothing to do with the role or position in the group. When we encounter a problem or an opportunity in the organization, we have

Howe Q. Wallace December 12, 2011

Reminders on Effective Leadership

I read recently that one trait effective leaders have is the ability to readily admit shortcomings. It occurs to me that I am pretty good at telling folks what they ought to do. I don’t often write about how I screw up. Even though, when I screw up, it is in plain sight.So, here are a few: I talk when I should be listening. In meetings, I find I like the sound of my own

Howe Q. Wallace December 8, 2011

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Articles About Leadership

THE JUICE IS WORTH THE SQUEEZE

“Everything you want is on the other side of ‘hard’.” – CJ McCollum, NBA player McCollum is a story of overachievement. He was undersized. Played college basketball at a non-descript school. Was a long shot to be an NBA player but worked his way to being a first-round draft pick and was a solid star in his 10th year in the league. I heard him describe his approach to the game and his development on a podcast called

Howe Q. Wallace March 25, 2024

HAPPENING TO THE WORLD – A SATISFYING WAY TO LIVE

PalletOne leaders “happen to the world.” What does that mean? A PalletOne leader is confident. Each situation creates an opportunity for service and contribution. We are talented and put those talents to work. We see those around us as having talent. We seek to unlock it. We realize that we can be called upon to take the initiative to improve things at any moment. We act when the situation calls for it. We inspire through

Howe Q. Wallace March 25, 2024

SUFFERING AND CHALLENGES

“Weep, trust, pray, think, shift, hope, grow. Ways to handle suffering.” – Tim Keller Tim Keller was a preacher from New York City. He passed away in 2023. I followed him on Twitter because he tweeted profound thoughts like the one above. You don’t exit life without tough things happening to you. It’s a fact. None of us are exempt. In specific order, Keller gave us seven verbs to consider when challenged: Weep – It’s

Howe Q. Wallace March 22, 2024