Rule #3: Leadership is Confusing as Hell (page 124)
FC Article

• How does an organization create a 'huge stable of able managers'? How is a culture of 'sustainable company excellence' maintained? If great managers are 'an organization's glue,' how does an organization keep its great managers? How does an organization help feed and foster the energy and enthusiasm of its great managers?
• Consider the mantra of 'it all depends' as an approach to leadership. How does a manager or managerial team maintain flexibility and adaptability within organization? What circumstances create the need for varying approaches? What qualities characterize manager's various styles? Does the mantra 'it all depends' mean having a plethora of different managers or a diversity of strategy approaches for individual managers? How does 'situational leadership' work within your organziation? How do you transition to the right person at the right time?
• If 'leaders love the mess,' how do you create a productive and efficient environment yet at the same time allow space for quirky creative individuals? Do you believe Peter's methaphor of the fabulous third grade teacher can be applied to business and organizations? Your particular organization?
• If 'the premier untapped leadership talent in the world today rests with women,' how can (or does) your organization encourage female leadership? If 'leaders understand the fundamental powers of realtionships,' what are the feminine qualities that enable relationships to be built and maintained? How can an organization embrace and foster these feminine relational qualities?
• What are the general themes of Peter's list? What would you add? What are the most important leadership qualities in your organization? What are elements that your managers need to work on? How can you effectively promote these elements within your organization?

Give Us This Day Our Global Bread (page 158)
FC Article

• What does Lionel Poilane mean by 'retro-innovation'? Does this concept bear semblance to your organizational practices? What does Poilane mean when he says 'you can only do it if you free your mind, if you don't belong to anything'? What holds back 'retro-innovation'? What kind of environment would 'retro-innovation' flourish and be effective in? Is your organization this type of environment? Would you like it to be?
• If 'the man with the best future is the one with the longest memory,' what can you learn from the history of your organization or industry to enrich your business today? Would this learning help make your business more effective or efficient? What lessons can you take from outside your organization's arena or industry? Would your organization agree with Poilane's statement, 'there are many ways to solve a problem'?
• Poilane says, 'it's important in business to be able to say no when you feel like saying yes would mean losing your soul.' What kinds of positions have you been put in which you feel would compromise the nature of your organziation? How do you learn to recognize this line between business improvement versus risk of ideals? How do you learn to say 'no'? What is the compromise?
• Are you a 'baker' or a 'builder'? Do you agree with Poilane's position that 'every businessman needs to learn how to be an artist'? Is this a right-brain versus left-brain disparity or do you see the diversity as a way of improving individual performance? Where does the strength of your organization lie? How do you develop and build the other element into your organization?
• Does your organization 'do things within intention, not with extension'? Where does one draw the line between progress and uncontrolled growth? What kind of growth is detrimental to your organization? How would you define your organization's 'intention'? What steps can you or do you take to create a balance?

Ann Karash contributed this month's Next Steps.

March 2001 Connexus | Flash Points | Next Steps

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