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Tag Archive from: leadership qualities

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 […]


The Speech John F Kennedy Was About to Give on the Day He Died

The Speech John F Kennedy Was About to Give on the Day He Died

By David Harder on the November, 19, 2019

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” – John F. Kennedy   I grew up in a little dirtbag town with adoptive violent and evangelical parents. In that environment, I remember watching JFK get elected […]


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 […]


How One Woman Became a Unique Brand

How One Woman Became a Unique Brand

By David Harder on the September, 7, 2019

Trina Damico is one of those bright white lights that bring a smile to anyone who knows her. We connected 5-6 years ago via social media. At the time, Trina was an organization development leader with a large employer in Portland. It became clear that she was quite passionate about […]


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 […]


How Southwest Airlines Continues to Fly High

How Southwest Airlines Continues to Fly High

By David Harder on the March, 26, 2019

There was a time when airline travel represented a special occasion. People dressed up, flight attendants served great food, and everyone had plenty of legroom. Today, airline travel is by and large a commodity. Unfortunately, when most CEOs decide their business is a commodity, they also treat the customers and […]


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