Beyond the Told

by Dr. David M Robertson

Tag: leader

The Secret to a Thriving Organizational Culture

Organizational culture is always under construction – or destruction. It is not a fixed monument etched in vision statements or value posters. Instead, it is a living behavioral ecosystem. This is to say that it changes, often subtly and rapidly, with every decision, every action, and every tolerated deviation. Leaders who fail to recognize this […]

Please Don’t Let Them Walk in Your Footsteps

Recently, I saw a meme on LinkedIn that had a picture of two sets of footprints. One set was clearly larger, and the other clearly smaller, intended to represent a father and his son. The caption read, “Be careful where you walk,” to which the child replied, “You be careful—I walk in your footsteps.” Sounds […]

Platitudes Don’t Create Leaders

In my opinion, leadership is one of the most discussed and misunderstood topics in modern discourse. Every day, social media platforms seem to be flooded with well-meaning but ultimately superficial slogans and oversimplified advice claiming to unlock the secrets of great leadership. “A leader serves first,” “Put others before all else – including yourself,” or […]

The Puzzle of Personal Vision

If you want to find purpose and direction in life, it’s crucial to start with a deep understanding of yourself. This is a big part of ‘personal leadership.’ I liken this process to assembling a puzzle, where each piece represents a part of who you are and what you aim to achieve. Finding your purpose […]

Ghosting, Follow-Through, and Leadership

In my many years as a leadership strategist, I have found that two things can destroy a leader’s credibility faster than you can say “promotion denied.” These two cardinal sins are ghosting and a lack of follow-through. These leadership don’ts can significantly tarnish how others see you and are central to whether anyone can or […]

Mass Epistemic Rigidity: Tearing Ourselves Apart

The recent attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump has merely demonstrated how deep-seated cognitive biases and social dynamics can shape how individuals interpret and respond to information. In many ways, this situation provides us with a stark illustration of what I’m now calling Mass Epistemic Rigidity. Indeed, this article runs the risk of being […]

Aligning Vision with Team Composition

I always say it: a leader’s vision must be compelling enough to galvanize action. Indeed, common wisdom suggests that a leader’s vision should resonate with the values and aspirations of the team, providing a sense of purpose and direction. In fact, it would be hard to find a leadership expert who might push back on […]

Thought Leadership Lost in a Sea of Repetition

Lately, I feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone! In a week spent on social media (especially LinkedIn), one can’t help but notice a multitude of self-proclaimed “thought leaders” echoing identical sentiments. This phenomenon begs the question: how can supposedly original thinkers share the exact same ideas all the time? The truth lies in plain […]

Leaders Are Not Managers

Despite decades of research and countless books and articles written on the differences between management and leadership, confusion persists between these two critical roles in organizations. I’ll be blunt. Leaders are not managers. Or better said, Leadership is not management. This confusion is a critical issue, as it can lead to misunderstandings, misaligned expectations, and […]

Strategic Leadership in a Nutshell

Let’s discuss the complex topic of strategic leadership and break it down into simple terms for easy understanding. Many times, the complexity of Strategic Leadership is underappreciated. This is a mistake because it is not as simple as some have tried to make it out to be. However, the individual steps can be broken down […]