How we collaborate has changed over the past year. In some ways, I feel like I have a higher capacity to connect with people in our company, industry and country because of the remote nature of the working world. When you take out the travel, I can be in more places. PK Kriha of Marsh & McLennan Agency has led advisory groups of C-Level executives for many years and recently shared with me that in the past year, she saw more collaboration among a group of CFOs, CEOs and others than she has in the past. That is a positive outcome from last year that she expects to continue. Still, somethi ..read more

Jeff Gau wrote this blog for more than a decade, sharing his experiences, challenges and insights in over 250 posts. Jeff told me recently that when he started, he never expected to write that many. But you kept reading and reaching out, so he continued. After a successful 37-year career at Marco, Jeff is now stepping back to serve as chairman of our board of directors. Today marks his first official day in retirement – and my first official day as the new CEO of Marco. My goal is to continue his legacy of sharing thought-provoking topics on this blog and his track record of success and adapt ..read more

When I started my career, I wanted what most employees want – a company with a good reputation, ethical bosses, high achievers, and a fun environment. I had a number of offers to work for large, well-known companies 37 years ago. I chose Marco after meeting Gary Marsden, who is one of the founders and was Chief Executive Officer at the time. He and his co-founding partner, Dave Marquardt, worked at IBM before starting Marco. Gary told me I would find something at Marco that I couldn’t find at those other places. He offered to teach me to sell, manage and run a business – in short order. So, I ..read more

A job well done means we leave something better than we found it. This never seemed as paramount as it does for me now, as I prepare to hand over the reins and retire at the end of this month. I am very proud of the team who will carry forward our company’s commitment to be admired for both its performance and its people. As I leave, it reminds me again of the importance of the people equation. We have been able to attract some really good people — some of the best in the nation — to work at Marco and lead our efforts. They are wise, often beyond their years, which makes me even more confident ..read more

Every day, as leaders we have to assess risk and make decisions. Some leaders have a higher risk tolerance than others or are willing to take a risk in one circumstance or another. The best leaders get good at calculating risks, evaluating consequences and taking timely action to achieve results. This is playing out real-time with IT security. It’s all over the headlines and leaders have decisions to make. All organizations need to understand how much potential exposure they may have, recognizing new risks are uncovered almost daily. How do you assess your team’s tolerance for risk and choose ..read more

As an organization, we’ve made a habit of finding and following the best. Rather than spinning our wheels talking about what a better practice, product or outcome could be, we go looking for it. When you’re serious about improving your company, your team or yourself, the first step is to identify the best. What do they do? How do they do it? We need to go beyond benchmarking only against ourselves and ask “What does best-in-class really look like?” The belief that “somebody does it better” should be motivating. It can help identify new opportunities, instead of justifying current performance ..read more

Not all leaders are effective decision-makers. So often, I watch good intentions get stuck. Leaders can be smart, they can be insightful, they can be bold, and they can even be strategic in their thinking, and still not be decisive when it’s needed. Effective leaders make these two types of decisions consistently to achieve success for their teams and the broader organization: Split-Second Decisions: These decisions need to be made real-time. Strategic Decisions: These decisions are more comprehensive and require leaders to initiate action based on long-term goals and a longer-term vision ..read more

What does innovation mean to you? Do new inventions and lofty plans come to mind? That’s common. So often we think we need to invent the next iPhone or Tesla to be innovative. But that’s just one type of innovation; as organizations, we typically have the most to gain when we consistently practice the other forms of innovation. You don’t need to be a technology company. Every organization can be innovative and see the results. Innovation is the process of bringing a new idea — not just a product — to the marketplace to solve a problem, improve efficiency or gain a greater competitive advantage ..read more

In a recent planning session with some Marco leaders, we discussed what words we hope people use when talking about our company. One of the qualities that rose to the top was “generous.” Marco definitely has sought to be a good corporate citizen. But what gives a company – or a person, for that matter – a reputation of being generous? Personally, I don’t want to just work for a company that is generous; I want to work for a company of generous people. There is a difference. It is easier to give away someone else’s time or money. Something changes when we give away our own. It requires some ele ..read more

Every year, I look forward to the holidays and Christmas shopping. For as long as I can remember, I have enjoyed spending time looking for the perfect gift – something meaningful, usually practical and often an item that the person would not get otherwise. This year has felt different. We are in what is being called a “social recession.” In many ways, that may be more difficult to weather than a financial recession. During a social recession, we lose connection with others. Traditions are impacted and bonds unravel the longer we are apart. It happens in our families, with friends and, yes, in ..read more