Ison, R. (2008). Systems Thinking and Practice for Action Research. In P. Reason & H. Bradbury (Eds.), The SAGE Handbook of Action Research: Participative Inquiry and Practice (Second ed.). London: Sage Publications., Ltd. My masters work is in systems management, and Ison’s work struck a chord with me as well. His mind map of the […]
Tag: leadership
Profitable ETF trading strategies: leadership out of the abyss
Jimmy Rogers, trader extraordinaire, agrees with us at Tortoise Capital that it is outrageous that the bailout is designed to try to avert taking our medicine. You must hit bottom, and start over, in the same way that the market has worked for thousands of years. Bailing out 29 year old brokers that are unsound only perpetuates […]
Professional humility and integrity
I had a rare privilege recently to attend an off the record briefing from a very high ranking general officer from an allied nation. He was reflecting on a career that spanned some very extraordinary times. He told one story however that really captured my attention. He was describing a situation in which he saw […]
A reflection on Problem-solving vs Decision-making
I see an important distinction between problem-solving as a method and decision making as a process. I see problem solving as an important component of decision-making but I see this distinction: decision-making seems to be the ultimate act of convergent thinking as a prelude to action. I see problem-solving as an analytical or intuitive process […]
5 Essential Qualities For Effective Managers
What does it take to manage a diverse group of creative individuals? An extensive review of management literature produces the following list of management qualities that are essential if you want to build and leverage high performance teams. Without these skills you run the risk of losing your most valuable business asset: the knowledge and energy […]
Reflections on competing theories of leadership
Any survey of leadership theory will acquaint you with concepts like: leadership traits, leadership behaviors, transactional leadership styles, transformational leadership styles and organizational culture. The interplay of these different schools of thought offer a rich source of insight into human behavior organizational performance. Here are some notes to get you started down this path from one […]
7 ways to improve creativity at work
Guidelines for stimulating creativity abound in both popular literature and emerging scientific research. here are 7 rules of thumb that seem to be applicable to a wide variety of business settings and across many cultures: 1. Have curiosity and interest in your surroundings: take time to notice what’s going on around you. Schedule time if […]