By  David Morris,  SBE

If you aren’t spending time each day considering your character as a leader, you could be headed for failure.  Just stop and think about it for a minute.  Over the course of your career, how many leaders have you seen fail?  Was it because they didn’t know how to do their job or lacked technical proficiency?  In the majority of cases, the answer is “no.”  Their ultimate failure was a failure of character played out over time, little steps towards compromise that ultimately culminated in one big crash.  Are you headed for a crash?

This week every news outlet is covering the crash of another great leader.  General David Petraeus, former commander of the U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Director of the CIA, was exposed … Read More »

By  David Morris,  SBE

How much time do you spend dealing with conflict each week?  I recently read an article that concluded that the average manager spends 25% of his or her time handling conflicts over resources, policies and rules, and people.  My experience tells me that number is a little low.  Due to the significant amount of time spent managing conflict, it is important that managers learn the skills and tools required to effectively engage in any conflict.  The starting point for ensuring that the conflicts in your organization are productive is to establish a set of ground rules, some “rules of engagement,” to help guide you through your next conflict.

Most of us are guilty of thinking about conflict as a war between two people … Read More »

by Andrew Thompson of SBE

Few obstacles are as damaging to a business as a lawsuit.  Even when unfounded, allegations of wrongdoing can cost a business owner not only in terms of time and resources, but also image, confidence, and focus – especially when such allegations come from a former employee.  According to an article by Jane Mundy on LawyersandSettlements.com, wrongful termination lawsuits have risen as a result of the down economy.1  It is therefore especially important now that employers understand how to protect themselves.

This article is not intended as legal advice.  If you are facing or believe you may face a lawsuit for wrongful termination, you should seek legal counsel.  What this article is intended to be is a set of suggestions, compiled from a variety of online sources, to help you build a strong foundation of … Read More »