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Tag Archive from: leadership development programs

Why Do Trader Joe's Cashiers Stay for 19 Years?

Why Do Trader Joe’s Cashiers Stay for 19 Years?

By David Harder on the December, 10, 2019

Employee engagement issues tend to be on full display in the grocery industry.   Ralph’s has a superstore within 50 yards of our front door. The employees are hairy, sweaty, and the men are worse. Kidding aside, the place is so disengaged that customers feel like intrusions. Most of the […]


What is An Engagement CEO?

What is An Engagement CEO?

By David Harder on the November, 7, 2019

According to Gallup, only 13% of the world’s workers are engaged. How are we getting anything done?   Well, we are doing it in a trance. The numbers around employee engagement are so bad that odds are high many CEOs are also disengaged. People’s rank has absolutely nothing to do with […]


Coach or Therapist?

Coach or Therapist?

By David Harder on the November, 6, 2019

When we launched Inspired Work in 1990, the coaching profession was in its infancy. Today, the coaching industry generates about $2billion in revenue every year. In short order, coaches not only disrupted the therapeutic profession, but it also ran off with many of their most affluent clients. In Europe, seeing […]


How Shareholder Fixation Built a Culture of Mediocrity

How Shareholder Fixation Built a Culture of Mediocrity

By David Harder on the November, 4, 2019

In American business, there was a time when most CEOs accorded equal power to marketing, operations, human capital, and finances. It is merely what a leader did to build sustainability into a business.   The importance of American labor could be summarized in how we won World War II. Late […]


What Are Courage Skills?​

What Are “Courage Skills?”​

By David Harder on the August, 12, 2019

Milo is an 11-pound dachshund and Bonedigger is a 500-pound lion. Milo and his lifelong friend Angel have forged a friendship with the Lion that is joyous and happy, and unexpected. The payoff of our practicing courage can also be having lives that are joyous, happy, and unexpected. There are […]


Why is It Time to Turn Human Resources Into Profit Centers?

Why is It Time to Turn Human Resources Into Profit Centers?

By David Harder on the July, 30, 2019

“HR is not a match for sexual harassment. It pits male sexual aggression against a system of paperwork and broken promises, and women don’t trust it. For 30 years we have invested responsibility in HR, and it hasn’t worked out. We have to find a better way.” Caitlin Flanagan – […]


Just Why Do Leaders Need Truth?

Just Why Do Leaders Need Truth?

By David Harder on the July, 5, 2019

Human beings are hard-wired to think about something other than themselves for 15-seconds. This one science-based fact can lead to the conclusion that pitch selling doesn’t work. It also means that telling people what to do will never produce employee engagement.   Think about it. If people are unable to […]


Why the Employer Brand is the Most Important Brand of All

Why the Employer Brand is the Most Important Brand of All

By David Harder on the June, 17, 2019

Who would you rather work for?   United Airlines or Southwest Airlines?   Google or Yahoo?   Vons/Safeway or Trader Joe’s?   Odds are high that you have identified the better employer with each example simply through word-of-mouth or direct customer experience. Or, you might be seriously interested in working for one […]


Why the Employer Brand Became More Important Than the Consumer Brand

Why the Employer Brand Became More Important Than the Consumer Brand

By David Harder on the April, 23, 2019

Who would you rather work for?   United Airlines or Southwest Airlines? Google or Yahoo? Vons/Safeway or Trader Joe’s?   Odds are high that you have identified the better employer with each example simply through word-of-mouth or direct customer experience. Or, you might be seriously interested in working for one of these […]


The Truth Behind Mary Barra's Debacle

The Truth Behind Mary Barra’s Debacle

By David Harder on the November, 27, 2018

General Motor’s CEO is clearly willing to take decisive action in moving the company forward. But, her overall performance is strikingly uneven.   Let’s start with the good news. Barra has made bold moves towards the future by investing in self-driving cars, electric vehicles and ride-sharing networks. In 2016, GM […]


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