Eric J. McNulty is the associate director of the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative. He is the coauthor of You're It: Crisis, Change, and How to Lead When It Matters Most (PublicAffairs, 2019). He writes frequently about leadership, change, and organizational culture.
All articles by Eric J. McNulty
Three steps to the “best next” workplaceFebruary 22, 2021 When COVID-19 wanes, returning to normal won’t be good enough. Leaders need practices to help them create a future that’s amazing.
To see the future more clearly, find your blind spots
January 7, 2021 After being bombarded with disruption in 2020, executives can better prepare for the next crisis by considering new perspectives.
Use social design to help your distributed team self-organizeNovember 23, 2020 For your organization to reach its new normal, you’ll need to take a human-centric, bottom-up approach.
Leading your team of hunter-gatherersSeptember 24, 2020 The way in which ancient societies organized themselves offers clues to how to manage today’s changing workforce.
Four questions for a rapid leadership resetJuly 7, 2020 Current conditions favor clear-eyed leaders who are open to change.
Can you handle the truth?May 18, 2020 Three ways for leaders to stop missing essential information from across their organization.
Leading through the duration of the COVID-19 emergencyMarch 31, 2020 Keeping your organization running during a crisis, like coronavirus, that persists over months requires planning, clear communication, and empathy.
Four different ways of knowingMarch 4, 2020 Understanding the world around you can be difficult if you’re constrained by traditional thinking. New approaches to knowledge can help.
Gain trust and project order in turbulent timesDecember 16, 2019 Leaders must understand four trends, and how they interact, to navigate uncertainty.
How leaders can bridge the empathy gap in a crisisOctober 2, 2019 Executives tend to err on the side of caution, rather than compassion, when disaster strikes. Here are four ways they can do better.
Find your pillar before you pivotJuly 29, 2019 Ground yourself in your organization’s values, principles, and strategy when considering a sharp turn.
Get ready for the “you’re it” momentJune 26, 2019 Growing into a meta-leader gives you the tools to skillfully manage any situation.
Don’t be a “leader”May 10, 2019 Successful leaders must recognize that their role is much more than the endgame of a specialist. Leading requires constant learning and a balance of specialized and broad knowledge.
Draw yourself a leaderApril 5, 2019 Visual thinking can give you fresh insight into your own beliefs about leadership.
Who Are Your Company’s Keystone Employees?January 30, 2019 A framework borrowed from nature illuminates why these workers are valuable and why they should be nurtured.
How the Right Business Language Can Catalyze ChangeOctober 23, 2018 Leaders need to use great care when choosing the words that shape companies, industries, and societies. See also “Banish These Words from the Business Lexicon.”
Increasing Your Global FluencySeptember 10, 2018 For recent grads and seasoned executives alike, on-the-ground experience in foreign locales can help you bridge your global skills gap and increase your ability to innovate.
The Leadership Maker MovementJuly 23, 2018 Four ways to catalyze high achievement amid turbulence and rapid change.
Journaling Can Boost Your Leadership SkillsMay 15, 2018 Stepping away from the screen and putting pen to paper allows the brain to reflect, process, and find patterns. See also “How Journaling Can Help Leaders Achieve Their Goals.”
Three Keys for Leaders Who Want to Solve HealthcareMarch 19, 2018 The Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JPMorgan Chase announcement shows that new action is possible.
Rewards Cards Test the Limits of Customer LoyaltyJanuary 25, 2018 How I liberated myself from points and why it matters to your company.
When should a CEO tweet about a controversy?January 4, 2018 Knowing when and when not to comment officially on a public issue.
How to Spark “Next-Gen” Creativity November 14, 2017 Leading for creativity isn’t about being an artistic free spirit — it’s about having the necessary skills to think in ways that get things done.
Never Let a Disaster Recovery Go to WasteSeptember 20, 2017 Rebuilding after a weather event is often harder than the initial response, and business has a big role to play.
Burn Your Rule Book and Unlock the Power of PrinciplesSeptember 13, 2017 Clear and simple shared objectives nurture employee energy, ideas, and commitment.
Putting humanity first in our organizationsAugust 10, 2017 Are we overcomplicating management and leadership and ignoring what makes us people?
How to Maximize MeetingsJuly 10, 2017 Readers share their pain — and their ideas for better meetings.
How to Lead When Global Trust Is PlummetingJune 5, 2017 With the public’s level of anxiety and distrust of executives and government officials, leaders must rethink how they relate to organizations.
How to Craft Meetings People Love (Really)May 1, 2017 These gatherings can feel like a prison sentence, unproductively ticking away time. But when infused with some essentials, they can be fruitful — and even enjoyable.
Leaders Can’t Treat Emergency Exercises Like Just Another DrillApril 5, 2017 Avoid fumbling the response to a crisis by fully participating in on-the-ground trainings.
The Power of AndMarch 27, 2017 One short, simple word can reframe your leadership mind-set.
Management Lessons from One Hospital’s Dramatic TurnaroundMarch 13, 2017 Putting people at the core is the key to major improvements in financial, performance, regulatory, and quality indicators.
Getting the Leadership Basics RightJanuary 30, 2017 Whether they’re selling concrete or chocolate, CEOs can still look to five steadfast rules.
Forget the Resolutions — Write Your Personal ManifestoDecember 21, 2016 A series of honest conversations with yourself, delving deeper than the annual list of dos and don’ts, can spark lasting and meaningful change.
Your People’s Brains Need Face TimeDecember 12, 2016 Dispersed teams trust more and function better when exposed to their colleagues’ non-verbal cues, best communicated in-person.
In the Age of Autonomous Cars, Can Your Organization Also Be Driverless?November 21, 2016 Technologies often spawn metaphors, which change over time and shape how we think about work.
Leaders Need to Slow Down to Speed UpOctober 31, 2016 Discovering how to learn fast, including taking time out for creative thinking and implementation, is necessary for effective self-disruption.
When It Comes to Trust, It’s the Little ThingsOctober 17, 2016 Lasting confidence in a company is built one customer interaction at a time.
How Well Do You Know the Story of You?September 19, 2016 The essence of who you are as a leader is made up of both successes and setbacks.
Three Lessons from 9/11, 15 Years OnSeptember 9, 2016 The attacks have changed business thinking and practice around disaster preparedness.
Ritual Questions Help Inform Effective LeadersAugust 22, 2016 Disciplined probing keeps you and your team connected, curious, and learning.
Leadership Perils for Subject Matter ExpertsAugust 1, 2016 Success often depends upon transcending your expertise to grasp a larger mission.
Building Strategic Capability through Good WorksJuly 5, 2016 Can companies discover crucial competitive insight by working to solve social problems?
Lessons from a WildfireMay 23, 2016 The Fort McMurray blazes test the limits of fundamental ideas in organizational crisis management.
What I Learned about Leadership in the Bush May 9, 2016 My safari guides provided invaluable insights regarding teams, collaboration, and mission narrative.
Is It the Cortisol or the Cubicle?April 25, 2016 Adjusting your hormones on the job may soon be a common way to enhance productivity.
What You Know That You Don’t Know Can Hurt YouApril 11, 2016 The Brussels terrorist attack reveals a great deal about organizational myopia.
To Be or Not to BeApril 4, 2016 Today, everybody is a decision maker. Here’s how to make sure your company is not paralyzed by Hamlets.
You’ve Got to Serve Someone March 14, 2016 New research reveals that leaders can function most effectively when they put the needs of their followers first.
Your Business Needs an Extra PersonFebruary 29, 2016 Strategic inefficiency can boost long-term performance.
Productivity Hacks from the RoadFebruary 15, 2016 What travel can teach you about making organizations more productive.
Why We Love Tough-Love ManagersJanuary 25, 2016 Bosses who hold themselves and workers to high standards can spur careers.
The Three Measures of Your Leadership SuccessJanuary 11, 2016 Assessing your effectiveness requires looking simultaneously at the past, the present, and the future.
Let’s Argue About ItDecember 22, 2015 We must revive the (almost) lost arts of argument and criticism.
Turbocharging Your Organization for 2016December 14, 2015 Your company must meet the dual challenges of focus and agility.
Uncomfortable Truths Don’t Just Go AwayNovember 30, 2015 Four ways to better speak truth to power, and for the powerful to hear it.
The Search for Hidden Talent TreasuresNovember 16, 2015 Look for the overlooked skill sets and expertise pools in your organization.
Leading in an Increasingly VUCA WorldOctober 27, 2015 The world is getting more dynamic and complex, not less, so leaders must learn how to surmount new challenges.
Making peace with the sharing economyOctober 19, 2015 How do we shape effective public policy in an age of rapid change?
Teaching the World to Do More Than SingSeptember 8, 2015 Coca-Cola’s Derk Hendriksen says his company wants to lead the way in positively affecting communities and empowering women entrepreneurs.
The Search for an OracleAugust 31, 2015 Where do you look for leadership wisdom?
Put the Humanity Back in Human ResourcesAugust 17, 2015 Blowing up HR is the wrong answer to the wrong question.
Thinking Like a Leader: Three Big ShiftsJuly 28, 2015 Adopt a leadership mind-set before you try to lead.
Your Leadership SummerJuly 20, 2015 Use time away from the office to stimulate your development, and have fun doing it.
Can Brands Save the World?June 29, 2015 “Brand sacrifice” means companies, not consumers, feel the pain.
Better Lucky than SmartJune 22, 2015 An age-old bit of wisdom can help you overcome outcome bias to improve your decision making as a leader.
Reconsidering the Charismatic CEOMay 20, 2015 Is magnetism at the top all it’s cracked up to be?
The Other “F” Word: An Interview with John DannerMay 18, 2015 The Berkeley professor and his coauthor say companies can no longer afford to treat failure like a dirty secret they have to hide.
Do You Know Your Wrecking Crew?May 5, 2015 It’s time to celebrate those butt-kicking, get-it-done teams who work out of the spotlight.
Forget the Vision, Make the ConnectionsApril 20, 2015 Executives in transition often spend too little time on what matters most: building relationships.
Isn’t Every Company a Social Enterprise?April 6, 2015 Social responsibility is no longer optional for leaders — it must be an integral part of their business.
6 Ways to Challenge Your Leadership AssumptionsMarch 18, 2015 A decades-old study of culture in leadership provides some insight on what underlies your beliefs about leaders and what they do.
Dealing with Your Childish BossMarch 5, 2015 Managing up to a supervisor who behaves like a toddler? Neuroscience can help.
Five Keys to Strategy in the Age of the HackFebruary 24, 2015 When it comes to data thieves, no company is immune. Leaders, here’s how to prepare.
The Mission Statement Is Dead! Long Live the Mission Narrative!February 2, 2015 Your company’s guiding principles should be built to focus your employees’ thinking, decisions, and actions.
Hiring for Cultural Fit at the TopJanuary 2, 2015 C-level transitions can be difficult, especially when preserving a company’s character is critical.
What Is This Thing Called Resilience?December 10, 2014 It is a hot buzzword, but often clouded in mystery. Here’s what executives need to know.
What the Ebola Crisis Can Teach Business LeadersNovember 25, 2014 Executives have much to learn about how fragile the public’s trust in them can be.
The Complexity of ComplexityNovember 11, 2014 It’s not enough to say your organization is simple or complicated—you must also understand what kind of complexity you’re dealing with.
Ending the Battle between Leadership and ManagementOctober 23, 2014 Historical and fictional accounts of King Henry V show how powerful the two disciplines can be when used together.
The Accountability EquationSeptember 30, 2014 Holding people, companies, or systems responsible for their mistakes is about more than just pointing a finger at the most convenient target.
The Four Rs of high-stakes decision makingSeptember 24, 2014 When it’s all on the line, when and how a decision is made matter just as much as whether it’s made in the first place.
Lead by AskingAugust 25, 2014 Sometimes the most obvious questions are the most crucial.
The Importance of Putting People FirstAugust 11, 2014 Starbucks’ plan to pay its workers’ college tuition may signal a new era in how employers consider their employees.
Should Leaders Be Heroes or Relationship Builders?July 29, 2014 Executives better serve their companies when they act as co-creators, rather than solo artists.
Beach Reading…Boardroom StyleJuly 23, 2014 Your summer vacation is the perfect time to relax, lie back, take in some sun, and learn something new about leadership.
What’s Your Platform, Baby?June 4, 2014 The key to tech customer loyalty isn’t about being the biggest—it’s about embracing the smallest.
Derek Lidow on Mastering the Four Phases of a Successful StartupJune 2, 2014 The former entrepreneur analyzes the leadership skills that new companies need for long-term success.
The Business Case against Business CasesMay 27, 2014 Companies that rely on traditional project management methods could be getting an incomplete picture of their own vulnerabilities and opportunities.
The Waves and Streams of Crisis CommunicationMay 19, 2014 Navigating the media in a crisis is complex, but it starts with knowing when to surf and when to swim.
Are You Ready to Lose Control?April 18, 2014 It may be the best way to improve your organization’s performance.
Organize Like a StartupMarch 17, 2014 Legacy companies looking to increase agility and collaboration can take a few lessons from new firms.
No More Business as UsualMarch 3, 2014 Syria. Ukraine. The Tea Party. Companies should start preparing for the new global reality.
Three Leadership Lessons from Sochi: Practice, Practice, PracticeFebruary 18, 2014 What do great leaders and great athletes have in common? They both work really hard to be the best.
Why Is Wrong with Your Business Model?February 3, 2014 It doesn’t matter what you do with your business if you don’t know why you do it.
Beyond Davos: Leading through Complex Global ChallengesJanuary 20, 2014 In order to solve large-scale problems, world leaders must concentrate on what they have in common, rather than the differences between them.
The Keys to Leadership: Your Brain and My GrandmotherJanuary 6, 2014 A new year should herald new ways of thinking about business.
Learning the Leadership Lessons of RetailDecember 13, 2013 While shopping for gifts this holiday season, consider these valuable insights on how to be an effective executive.
In Praise of Long-Tenure CulturesNovember 25, 2013 Employees with a personal stake in a company are more likely to help it succeed.
Is It Time to Delist the NYSE?November 8, 2013 The financial markets need a reminder that they are there to serve firms, not the other way around.
Where Does Leadership Live?October 25, 2013 As we develop new ways of doing business, we must also develop new ways of looking at, and assigning, leadership.
The Source of Organizational Dysfunction, Revealed! October 7, 2013 Organizations are much more complex than how they’re designed. Executives should take that complexity into account when measuring performance.
A Different Kind of Climate ChangeSeptember 20, 2013 Businesses must ask themselves what impact they can make on society as social and economic climates change around the world.
Let’s Just Stop Calling Them LeadersSeptember 5, 2013 Executives, officials, and managers should have to earn the title of “leader,” not just expect to receive it.
Do You Have a Stay Strategy?August 19, 2013 Starting a business is one thing—sticking with it is quite another.
Five Principles to Turbocharge Innovation August 2, 2013 Changing the way creative teams work together could increase their ability to generate new ideas.
MERS: The Major Threat That’s Not on Your Risk MapJuly 12, 2013 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome could be the next big worldwide crisis. Are you ready to lead your global company through it?
What You Should Accomplish in Your First 10 DaysJune 11, 2013 It traditionally takes months for new leaders to make a positive impact. That’s simply much too long to wait.
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