Personal Accountability
A participant in my leadership program this week, Al Brown, President of Industrial Scaffold Services on Vancouver Island, shared a great quote with me: These require zero talent: Being on time Work Ethic Effort Body Language Energy Attitude Passion Being Coachable Doing Extra Being prepared Al gets it. He’s built an amazing organizational culture around […]
The Inner Path of Leadership
Michelangelo was asked once how he carved and created such magnificence and beauty from a slab of cold marble: He reportedly replied, “I didn’t do anything. God put Pieta and David in the marble, they were already there. I only had to carve away the parts that kept you from seeing them.” For the past three […]
A RESPECTFUL WORKPLACE – Holding Each Other Accountable To Create One
Just about every organization will have respect, in one form or another, as one of their espoused values. We are told that a respectful workplace is one where all employees are treated fairly, diversity is acknowledged and valued, communication is open and civil, conflict is addressed early, and there is a culture of empowerment and cooperation. […]
AN UNDERVALUED VIRTUE CALLED GRIT – The Power To Persevere In The Pain
When the morning’s freshness has been replaced by the weariness of midday, when the leg muscles quiver under the strain, the climb seems endless, and suddenly, nothing will go quite as you wish – it is then that you must not hesitate. – Dag Hammarskyold In the classic 1969 Henry Hathaway movie,True Grit, John […]
BANFF LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
CREATING A LEADERSHIP CULTURE IN YOUR ORGANIZATION David Irvine & Results Canada Invite You To A LEADERSHIP SUMMIT Banff Springs Hotel March 12 – 14, 2017 One of the most rewarding aspects of my career are the amazing organizations and leaders I have the privilege to work with. Over the years, Tim O’Connor, CEO and Partner […]
A New Year’s Message from David
I’ve been wondering what it is about New Years and the desire to make resolutions. Sure there is the tradition and the date on the calendar that gives us a perception of starting anew. But there is something else going on, a desire inside of us to keep getting better, to evolve, to give more. […]
Thank You For The Successful Book Launches
Friends have I with the world before me, Sun above and the wind behind me, Life and laughter, double-blessed am I. – Brooks Tower Thank you everyone who took time out of their busy schedules to come out and support me in launching my newest book, Caring Is Everything: […]
HAVE VALUES LOST THEIR VALUE? When Can Respectful Be Disrespectful?
If you have walked through the hallways of many corporate offices these days, chances are you have seen a nice set of value statements or guiding principles proudly hanging on the wall. The problem with these fancy value statements is that what is so often misunderstood is that there is a difference between a value […]
Hire For Character; Train For Cashiers
The title of this blog came from an executive at Nordstrom Department Stores when I asked him about his hiring philosophy. “We hire for character; we train for cashiers.” Far too often people get hired on the basis of competence, and fired on the basis of attitude. I am often asked, “So how do we […]
The Tyranny Of The Urgency: Why Too Many Priorities Means Nothing Is A Priority
Earlier this month I was on a United Airlines flight from Calgary to Oklahoma City via Houston. It was on the morning of Calgary’s first snowstorm of the year and we were sitting on the tarmac for several minutes before passengers started to get restless, anxious, and impatient. You could feel the tension in the […]
