On Leading with Greatness

When we hear the word “severance” we usually think of a severance package, the money and benefits granted to some terminated workers. But severance refers specifically to the act of severing employees from their employment by “cutting” positions or directly “axing” workers. Like “termination,” these are violent words, indicating a chopping off, an amputation, decapitation, or death. Workplace ling...

It’s time I come clean. I’m always writing about integrity in some form or other, and I’m sincere in my desire to encourage the understanding and practice of integrity among leaders. Candidly, though, I rarely write about the downside of integrity: it can hurt. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

We humans have a love-hate relationship with efficiency. On the one hand, we keenly want our systems to be efficient, to not waste time, energy, or physical resources. On the other hand, most efficiency stratagems are indistinguishable from austerity schemes handed down from on-high. The truth is that sustainable efficiency rarely comes from above or from outside. Get full access to On Leading Wit...

When was the last time you reviewed your past, present, and yet to be? It was a dark and stormy afternoon. Eb was in the middle of chewing out stupid Bob, who was on the verge of tears. Eb was furious at Bob for his constant nattering about Eb’s alleged neglect of the corporate mission. “What a lot of hooey!” Eb yelled. “The mission’s just a sap to sell more stock to do-gooder shareholders, or hav...

What happens when people obey in advance? Once bully bosses establish themselves as the alphas, many employees will submit in advance with little prompting. Capitulators compromise their values, betray loyalties, and even sacrifice their own most fundamental interests to cater to a boss’s whims. Here’s a simple rule: True leaders never obey in advance. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness...

Great leaders act. They strive to do good—to do both good work and good works. Everything else they leave to the neutrals—those chronically indifferent, morally gutless, and ethically spineless “caitiff wretches”—the chief enemy of the good. When the neutrals sit down, you know it’s time for the leaders to stand up. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Love him or despise him, Clinton stood as a colossus in American politics despite his profusion of personal failings, retrograde behaviors, and carnal appetites—which seem almost quaint today. One of the keys to his apparent political success was also his greatest deficit as a person: his ability to compartmentalize . Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscri...

Let’s talk about that most persistent of boss myths: that the tougher they are, the more effective they are. This nonsense is related to the “strongman” myth in politics, which assumes that authoritarian leaders are somehow superior at getting things done. There’s that tired line about how Benito Mussolini , the brutal fascist dictator of Italy known as Il Duce , got the decrepit Italian trains to...

The Ancient Greek philosopher Plutarch may offer some insight here. Plutarch wrote, “I don’t need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod.” Perhaps feeling a little cheeky, he added, “My shadow does that much better.” Plutarch certainly would have rejected an enabling shadow like Jeff Greene as a friend. As it goes with television characters and Greek philosophers, so it goes wi...

We all know the type. Think of television and movie characters such as Logan Roy from Succession . Or consider historical world leaders such as Napoleon. What do all these individuals—real or imagined—have in common? They have all embraced the “ strongman ” model of leadership . The strongman model occurs far more prevalently in everyday life. It’s the way of many or even most bosses. Get full acc...

Just the other day, something extraordinary happened. Someone praised me. Not that no one ever praises me, but it was the context that made it land differently. For years, I struggled to accept compliments with the grace they deserve. When praised, my mind would grumble, “What’s their angle” or “If only they knew…” I’d tell myself I needed to dismiss their recognition so I could “stay humble,” whi...

Bossplainers have a compulsion to expound on how to do everything. Their behavior is utterly demoralizing because it starts and ends with the assumption that people don’t know what they’re doing. Every error—perceived or real—is blown out of proportion. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

One of my favorite sayings comes from Mike Tyson, the champion boxer: Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. So, if plans are so useless, why plan? Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Are you ready for a shocking revelation that could save your business and improve the wellbeing of everyone around you? Well, brace yourself because what I’m about to expose may upset you. If you’re a clear-thinker who values candor, keep reading and heed every word. Your company’s and even your own future may depend on it. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/s...

Let’s just get this out of the way: Bosses are never leaders. As for leaders, they’re never bosses. So, it’s that simple. Bosses aren’t leaders . But how do you tell the difference between a mere boss and a true leader? Sometimes it’s just obvious. You simply know. But if you’re not sure, one easy test is to determine which direction they’re running. One will be running away and one running toward...

Leadership is practically in my blood. From a young age, I have been thrust into leadership positions, and I had to rely on my wits to succeed. Nonetheless, I always was a pretty good gut leader. Leadership is a skill, and like any other skill you can be born into it, but it must also be learned. The thing with learning new skills, though, is that while someone can guide you through the process, t...

Are you awake? How can you be sure? Someone once observed, “It’s only when you wake up that you notice you were sleeping.” It’s a thinker, a puzzle, a paradox. Consider how often you operate on autopilot, un-present and unaware of your unawareness. It takes an act of consciousness—triggered from the outside or from within—to realize we’ve been sleepwalking. Download my free resource, the Transform...

What a spectacle! A 70-something-year-old white man commanding the stage as he bellows into a microphone. He holds this packed stadium in thrall to his every utterance. The crowd is in raptures. His crowd. They’ve heard all he has to say before, and they want to hear it all again. They cheer, they chant, and they yell his words back in sync to him. This is not some tawdry political rally, though,...

Have you ever felt like you’re faking your way through work and life? This happens to most if not all of us—the phenomenon we call “ imposter syndrome .” As a leadership coach and as a fellow human being rumbling along this rugged road of existence, I’ve encountered this syndrome more times than I care to ponder. You know it well. It’s that insidious nagging voice that tells you, "You don't belong...

Last year I delved into the corporate culture of crisis, shedding light on its high costs and offering some strategies to break free from the grip of this mindset. If you missed that, you can catch up with the article here . Now let’s dig a little more deeply into crisis culture, starting with the word itself. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

It’s time I expand my reach to a much bigger crowd, one teaming with mindless ambition, baseless pride, and bottomless avarice. That’s right, this one isn’t for the rare servant leader. It’s for superabundant self-serving bosses! You know who you are—the top dogs, the fat cats, the kingfishes. So let’s pluck some of that low-hanging fruit and help you head honcho-types out there to up your nasty b...

Confucius offers this insight on gaining wisdom: By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by experience, which is the bitterest. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Have you ever tried to transform the very soul of an organization—its culture? Quite the task, right? To thoroughly transform a culture for the better, you need to look to and master the Rule of Thirds Strategy. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Let’s sketch a scene. Imagine holding a classic rocks glass —one of those short tumblers used for whiskey. Its thick walls and solid base give it an appealing heft in your hand. Now picture a fancy swizzle stick leaning tall against the rim. Go ahead and grab that stick and give it a good whirl, really swizzle the hell out of that glass. Oh, and one tiny detail, the glass in your hand, the one you...

Tell me if you’ve seen something like this: You’re at work (or working from home), toiling away, when suddenly there’s an announcement. Your coworker just got the big promotion everyone was vying for. Let’s call him Chad. This isn’t the first time our buddy Chad reaped the rewards, which would be great if Chad were the go-getter his win streak suggests, but everyone knows Chad’s a dud. Get full ac...