Comments on: First things first http://managingleadership.com/blog/2008/08/14/first-things-first/ The strategic role of the senior executive Sat, 28 Jan 2012 01:35:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Building an IT Team: What are the IT Competencies? « A Bottom’s Up View From a Pai Mei (白眉) Guy http://managingleadership.com/blog/2008/08/14/first-things-first/comment-page-1/#comment-7580 Building an IT Team: What are the IT Competencies? « A Bottom’s Up View From a Pai Mei (白眉) Guy Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:05:53 +0000 http://managingleadership.com/blog/?p=713#comment-7580 [...] is it following Drucker’s systems approach - Jim Stroup’s First things First blog post sums up nicely the three key starting questions: Q1: “In what area is excellence [...] [...] is it following Drucker’s systems approach – Jim Stroup’s First things First blog post sums up nicely the three key starting questions: Q1: “In what area is excellence [...]

]]> By: Jim Stroup http://managingleadership.com/blog/2008/08/14/first-things-first/comment-page-1/#comment-7569 Jim Stroup Sun, 17 Aug 2008 12:29:24 +0000 http://managingleadership.com/blog/?p=713#comment-7569 Hello Paul, The winning line in your comment: ". . . raising as many [questions] as possible and confronting them brutally . . ." Both sides of that phrase are essential: both working hard to imagine and generate the questions - I like the emphasis on "as many as possible" - and the frank and "brutal" consideration of them from all perspectives. I hope viewers will link through from your comment to your site so they can learn about you and your colleague's new book - best of luck with it, and thanks so much for your visit and your observations! Hello Paul,

The winning line in your comment: “. . . raising as many [questions] as possible and confronting them brutally . . .”

Both sides of that phrase are essential: both working hard to imagine and generate the questions – I like the emphasis on “as many as possible” – and the frank and “brutal” consideration of them from all perspectives.

I hope viewers will link through from your comment to your site so they can learn about you and your colleague’s new book – best of luck with it, and thanks so much for your visit and your observations!

]]> By: Jim Stroup http://managingleadership.com/blog/2008/08/14/first-things-first/comment-page-1/#comment-7568 Jim Stroup Sun, 17 Aug 2008 12:25:23 +0000 http://managingleadership.com/blog/?p=713#comment-7568 Totally Consumed - I agree completely that the crucial issue isn't the answer, but the question, because if we get the latter wrong, the former will be wrong, also - probably damagingly so. Thanks for your visit and your writing at your own site! Totally Consumed – I agree completely that the crucial issue isn’t the answer, but the question, because if we get the latter wrong, the former will be wrong, also – probably damagingly so.

Thanks for your visit and your writing at your own site!

]]> By: paul carroll http://managingleadership.com/blog/2008/08/14/first-things-first/comment-page-1/#comment-7557 paul carroll Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:39:19 +0000 http://managingleadership.com/blog/?p=713#comment-7557 you're on a great point. research that a colleague and i have done for a book on the lessons to be learned from corporate failures found that a great many stemmed from glossing over the tough questions, rather than raising as many as possible and confronting them brutally. how else could one of the world's largest cement companies convince itself that it ought to make lawnmowers, reasoning that its cement was used in homes and, well, homes have lawns. (the company, blue circle, went into bankruptcy proceedings and was later sold.) you’re on a great point. research that a colleague and i have done for a book on the lessons to be learned from corporate failures found that a great many stemmed from glossing over the tough questions, rather than raising as many as possible and confronting them brutally. how else could one of the world’s largest cement companies convince itself that it ought to make lawnmowers, reasoning that its cement was used in homes and, well, homes have lawns. (the company, blue circle, went into bankruptcy proceedings and was later sold.)

]]> By: Totally Consumed http://managingleadership.com/blog/2008/08/14/first-things-first/comment-page-1/#comment-7556 Totally Consumed Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:09:06 +0000 http://managingleadership.com/blog/?p=713#comment-7556 Well said! Good leadership isn't always about having the answers, rather it's more often about asking the tough questions. Well said! Good leadership isn’t always about having the answers, rather it’s more often about asking the tough questions.

]]>