The Authentic Organization

In his comment on emotional skills, Michael Soper wrote: I’ve always been fascinated with the power of “institutional stories” that flow from the emotions of leaders. Examples are many. Consider the leader who reminds managers in the midst listening of their explanations about why they can’t do something, “just test it, try it, and refine [...]

If you’re familiar with my work, you will know how I feel about resistance to change. I believe that resistance should neither be dismissed nor rolled over, rather it should be respected and understood. The primary area in which I have applied this approach in recent years is in the context of organizations adopting new [...]

Emotional skills are fundamental to the success of most organizational projects. Sometimes they mean the difference between nominal success and remarkable success. Sometimes they are critical to any sort of success at all. And without a doubt, they are vital to building the relationships needed for the long term. I was reflecting earlier this evening [...]

As we take on new projects and new objectives, very few organizations let go of old ones to make room. In some cases, we acquire new resources, although often not enough to do justice to the new endeavor. In many cases, such decisions reflect an admirable ambition or at the very least an unwillingness to [...]

I’m grateful for your queries, as much as I am for your answers and your stories. Please don’t hesitate to challenge me to be more specific, to give me counterexamples, or, as a reader of Nonprofit Online News did, just ask some really good questions: Is there a difference between being an authentic agency and [...]