[Originally published May 2021 at EngagedAgility.com] When creating a new product or service or even an entire business, it’s common to make profit your goal. How can you stay in business without making money? But focusing on profit is likely to take you down a toxic path full of cost-cutting, unwanted products, and burnt out...

[Originally published February 2021 at EngagedAgility.com] I vividly recall my first Agility coach preaching to me, “Don’t get five projects halfway done; get one project completely done.” “But that’s less than half the productivity!” I sputtered.  “Yeah. Except that five half-way done projects deliver zero value to my customer.”  This concept made no sense to...

[Originally published December 2019 at EngagedAgility.com] Lately I seem to be hearing the same question from everyone I meet: how much expertise does a leader need? Just in the past month I’ve heard the question from my boss, from my mentor, from the book I’m reading (Linchpin by Seth Godin), and from online posts I...

[Originally published October 2019 at EngagedAgility.com] Imagine a scientist in a white lab coat, two beakers in hand. You ask what she’s doing, and she says, “I’m conducting an experiment!” When you ask what the experiment entails, she responds, “I don’t know! I’m going to combine these liquids and see what happens!” Obviously no self-respecting...