Leadership Lessons for Business from Trump’s Win In the post-election postmortem, analysts have been dissecting the Democratic defeat like blind men describing an elephant—each touching a different part, yet missing the entire creature. Hundreds of explanations have emerged, from messaging missteps to demographic shifts. But these are mere symptoms, not the underlying root cause. Attempts […]
Reviving Canada Post: A Blueprint for Resurrecting Canada’s Economy
Introduction: The Amazon Returns Experience A few weeks ago, I had to return an item I bought on Amazon. Recently, Amazon added a drop-off option at Staples stores—just show the QR code they provide, no packaging or postage required. Although it takes me a few minutes longer to drive to Staples than to the nearest […]
Thank God It’s One Trump
We absolutely cannot let Friday pass without noticing it—and without thanking God for it! But this Friday is different: now, we should also start thanking the incoming President. At the very least, let’s thank him right now for everything yet to come! Because when it does, we might not even be able to make a […]
The Loyalty-First Leadership Trap
Leadership Lessons from Trump While the controversies surrounding Trump’s cabinet picks made for sensational political theater, there are important management lessons to be learned. The principle of “loyalty trumping expertise” that appeared to guide Trump’s selection process is all too common in corporate hierarchies as well. So if you are a “career manager,” Trump’s cabinet […]
Canada Post: Road to Reinvention
Is it time to shut down Canada Post? Canadian postal workers plan to strike if their demands aren’t met. While this news could raise eyebrows, it didn’t raise much concern for most Canadians, who are unlikely to feel the impact even as the holiday season approaches. Canada Post’s slide into irrelevance seems almost inevitable—but is […]
What’s Really Behind the 47:47 Poll for the Choice of the 47th President
Statistics knows everything: there’s a strong correlation between a state’s Democrat-leaning voter percentage and the proportion of residents with a bachelor’s degree or higher. And if this correlation holds (spoiler alert: it does), we’re looking at some serious long-term consequences for democracy. I’m sticking to data here, not partisan b/s—this is straight math. A bachelor’s […]
The Value of Values
Aligning Organizational and Individual Values: A Guide for Business Leaders, Part 1 Imagine you’re the founder or the CEO of a growing business. You’ve heard about the importance of company values, so you gather your team for a brainstorming session. After a few hours and several pizzas, you emerge with a list of inspiring words: […]
A Tale of Two Maps: Education and Politics in America
If Democrats are Bachelors, and Bachelors are Degree-Holders, are all Degree-Holders Democrats?
How Do I Know If I Like My Job?
Does the term “work-life balance” resonate with you? For many professionals, it represents the elusive goal of finding harmony between their careers and personal lives. However, a more winning approach is to make your work an integrated part of your life, not just something to counterbalance as the traditional view implies. To evaluate if you’ve […]
Is leadership better than management?
This is a popular question, but I find the entire “leadership vs. management” dichotomy to be misguided and unproductive. Comparing the two concepts along the better–worse axis is almost from the realm of apples vs oranges. Originally, management was viewed as a formal organizational role focused on planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling resources to […]