One of my first undergraduate classes was introduction to economics. The professor was a bit of a character and was known for commonly uttering two phrases, i.e. (as in “in other words”) and ceteris paribus (which roughly means “all other things being equal”). The economy is a complicated thing and … [Read more...] about Little Changes in a Big World
Search Results for: Craig Van Slyke
Living and Leading Well
At its best, leadership is not only about “getting the job done” from the perspective of the organization, it’s also about helping organizational members live well. But, what does it mean to live well? As you might imagine, this isn’t an easy question. It’s been pondered for centuries by folks much … [Read more...] about Living and Leading Well
Rankings and the Right Things
As I write this, we’re experiencing a very good week at the Franke College of Business. On Monday, I learned that we were ranked #10 in the United States in the Military Times “Best Schools for Vets: Business Schools” rankings. Then, on Tuesday, we learned that our MBA program was ranked for the … [Read more...] about Rankings and the Right Things
NAU Values Veteran Students
At the end of January, Northern Arizona University had the honor of hosting Ted Vogt, director of Arizona’s Department of Veteran Services. The entire afternoon was filled with activities related to our military veterans, concluding with a meeting of NAU veteran students at Flagstaff’s American … [Read more...] about NAU Values Veteran Students
The Cage of Assumptions
Recently I was reading an interesting book (Stoic Pragmatism) by John Lachs, a leading proponent of practical philosophy. Lachs stated, “If you take a bird out of its cage, it will resist. If you open the door to the cage, on the other hand, it will find its way out and try its wings.” Although … [Read more...] about The Cage of Assumptions
Making Sense of the World
Let’s start this month’s column with a quick quiz. What do management guru Peter Drucker, ancient Roman orator and philosopher Cicero and the founder of the Jesuit order, Ignatius of Loyola, have in common? All were big believers in the power of self-reflection. Drucker said, “Follow effective … [Read more...] about Making Sense of the World
Economy – Brittle and Easy to Break
For hundreds of Flagstaff business people trying to understand what might be happening with the economy, Northern Arizona University offers its annual Economic Outlook Conference. “People want to feel good about the economy, but they don’t feel good about feeling good about the economy,” said … [Read more...] about Economy – Brittle and Easy to Break
Leading Your Emotions
In an earlier column, I wrote about emotional contagion (when the emotions of one person influence those of others). At the end of that column, I mentioned that leaders should develop the ability to regulate their emotions, which is this month’s topic. Emotional regulation is the ability to … [Read more...] about Leading Your Emotions
Keep Calm and Lead On
A few weeks ago, my dog, Maggie, and I returned from an early morning walk when Maggie spied a rather large grey cat lounging in front of our house. Maggie did not take kindly to the cat’s presence. She tugged at her leash, trying to get the cat. The cat was unimpressed and backed off a little, but … [Read more...] about Keep Calm and Lead On
Successfully Managing Workplace Conflict
Last month we learned a little about team conflict, its sources and its impacts. This month we’ll cover how to deal with conflict. Let’s get started with a story of a conflicted team with four members: Pat, Dallas, Jamie and Drew. During a team meeting, there was disagreement over a key issue. After … [Read more...] about Successfully Managing Workplace Conflict