Why Values Trump Rules and Regulation

Dov Seidman — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:59:36 -0500

Everywhere I travel, I hear the same refrains: "We need more regulation," or on the flip side, "If we hadn't deregulated, we wouldn't be in this financial mess."

It looks like the White House is of this mind-set. Citing Wall Street for helping to create a "culture of irresponsibility," President Obama wants to impose more rules on the financial industry by, among other things, creating a Consumer Financial Protection Agency.

Sustainability: It's Not About Light Bulbs

Dov Seidman — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:05:45 -0400

The owner of a McDonald's franchise made news recently by opening an eco-friendly restaurant in Cary, N.C. It has energy-efficient refrigerators, low-flow toilets, tables made from sunflower seeds and even recharging stations for electric cars.

This McDonald's is surely going green. But that doesn't make it sustainable.

Why I Don't Want the Recession to End Yet

Dov Seidman — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:56:28 -0400

Everyone is asking the same questions: Have we hit bottom yet? When will the recession end? When will things go back to the way they were?

Indonesia Tries Honesty Policy to Rebuild Trust

Dov Seidman — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:37:15 -0400

Years ago, I heard about an unusual doughnut vendor in New York City. During the morning rush, instead of calculating the correct change for every customer, he put a pile of coins on the counter of his pushcart and asked people to pay what they owed, and make change for themselves. That did two things: It enabled him to serve more doughnuts in less time and it told his customers that he trusted them to be honest. The customers, in turn, repaid that trust with their loyalty.

A Call for Reconnecting With Values

Dov Seidman — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:58:35 -0400

Like many of you, I have followed the recent headlines related to Pope Benedict XVI’s call for a “return to ethics in the global economy.” I’ve been seeing this thinking in many arenas — and we cover it regularly on the site HOW Online — and I was meaningfully struck by his desire to see business reconnect with values in these troubled times.

A Call for Reconnecting With Values

Dov Seidman — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:54:21 -0400

Like many of you, I have followed the recent headlines related to Pope Benedict XVI’s call for a “return to ethics in the global economy.” I’ve been seeing this thinking in many arenas, and I was meaningfully struck by his desire to see business reconnect with values in these troubled times.

Pope Benedict’s words are powerful:

Why Bernard Madoff is NOT a symbol of our times

Dov Seidman — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:47:27 -0400

Lots of attention will be paid this week to the sentencing of Bernard Madoff, and rightfully so. There are no words for his actions. He was epic in his perfidiousness. His behavior was monstrous.

The Importance of Inspirational Leadership

Dov Seidman — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 19:43:03 -0400

I believe there are three fundamental ways to get people to do things: You can coerce them, you can motivate them or you can inspire them.

Historically, business has used carrots and sticks to get performance OUT of people. Today, we need to become leaders who can INSPIRE performance IN people.