Popular culture has continually framed our idea of leadership to be something that is bigger than the individual. Because of this, we treat the title “leader” as something that one day we’ll deserve while giving little thought to the small things we do daily and how they are transformational to the lives around us. Leadership [...]

Technological changes have been impacting humanity for thousands of years. Although agricultural advancements allowed for population growth and urbanization, industrialization shifted focus away from the creation of sustenance to a primary focus of the development of goods, services and information. A technology-driven society fosters significant changes in the lives of the average man as more [...]

In 2006, the Thunderbird School of Global Management was the first business school to institutionalize a pledge for responsible management. Although it was not warmly accepted at that time, attitudes changed quickly two years later when a focus on short-term profits led to the global economic meltdown. Much of the same behavior that caused our [...]

I had the good fortune of spending yesterday evening at the Thunderbird School of Global Management. Professor Denis Leclerc led a discussion on cross-cultural communication when working in project teams. Through many of his international travels in recent months, he has been surveying individuals and has collected data from over 640 individuals who are actively [...]

You’ve heard of management by walking around (MBWA), but have you heard of management by absence (MBA)? Yvon Chouinard, founder of outdoor clothing brand Patagonia, uses the MBA approach to manage his ever-growing employee base. In a direct assault on Milton Friedman’s idea that companies should never get involved in charitable efforts and being socially [...]

“You can discover what your enemy fears most by observing the means he uses to frighten you.” - Eric Hoffer I have had my share of bosses that manage with fear. I’m sure you have to. The thing that irks me is how those individuals don’t see how destructive it is. Managing through fear rarely leads [...]

“Even if you be otherwise perfect, you fail without humility.” –The Talmud In Jim Collins’ best selling book, Good to Great, he wrote about how organizations move from being good to great. Besides focusing on hiring the right people, confronting brutal facts, and developing a culture of discipline, Collins describes how the organizations were led [...]

“In looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if they don’t have the first, the other two will kill you.” – Warren Buffet So why did Buffet say that? I’m guessing you can think of numerous reasons why. MCI Worldcom. Tyco. Enron. Arthur Andersen. Firms on Wall [...]

I read Malcom Gladwell’s book, Outliers, a few years back. It includes many memorable stories of The Beatles, Bill Gates, and Robert Oppenheimer, to name a few. A common theme that runs throughout the book is the “10,000-Hour Rule”, which claims that recognition and success come after an individual works in excess of that time [...]

When my father was a boy, he, his three sisters, and his parents would take road trips. Often, the headlights were pointed west as they traveled to explore states on the left side of the Mississippi. I think back to stories he shared with my sister and I about how adept my grandfather was at [...]

This is what Seaver Consulting is all about. Working with talented individuals, unlocking their potential, and helping them become indispensable. We live in a society more focused on positive perception than on true character. On fitting the mold, following the herd or keeping up with the Joneses. Being remarkable isn’t about what everyone else is [...]