top of page
Search


Crisis and Complexity
“In quiet and untroubled times, it seems to every administrator that it is only by his efforts that the whole population under his rule...
John W Bailie, PhD
Feb 28, 20234 min read
508 views
4 comments


When It’s Raining Frogs, An Umbrella Is Not Enough
Change happens slowly, and then… all at once. Some changes are rather small in the large scheme of things. Some changes we choose. We...
John W Bailie, PhD
Sep 22, 20225 min read
283 views
101 comments


Create a Changing Program, Not A Training Program
Many years ago, a colleague and I found ourselves in a conversation with a competitor in the professional leadership training market. The...
John W Bailie, PhD
Aug 25, 202210 min read
202 views
3 comments


The Problem With Accountability
A longtime colleague in leadership training and consulting recently said to me during a discussion, “You know, I’m increasingly...
John W Bailie, PhD
Aug 9, 20223 min read
321 views
3 comments


Speed + Accuracy = Power
When it comes to giving feedback: Speed + Accuracy = Power. I was recently giving my oldest son some beginner boxing lessons. Like I was...
John W Bailie, PhD
Jul 5, 20223 min read
120 views
1 comment


Curtains and Walls
I was in my early thirties. I was going through a very painful and complicated breakup. Work was going great, but that success came with...
John W Bailie, PhD
May 31, 20227 min read
94 views
1 comment


Unequivocal Responsibility-taking
I take full responsibility for my behavior. This is what I did and my part in what happened. How has what I’ve done affected you? I am...
John W Bailie, PhD
Dec 2, 20212 min read
177 views
1 comment


Liabilities Have Numbers. Assets Have Names.
An aging facility in need of environmental remediation, an overfunded unit producing a product past its prime, or a culture that prizes...
John W Bailie, PhD
Nov 19, 20212 min read
133 views
1 comment


Lead by Craft, Not By Spec
Several years ago, a family member asked me how to make my (delicious, I might add) pulled pork chili. I responded by giving her a few of...
John W Bailie, PhD
Oct 26, 20212 min read
86 views
2 comments


Generosity as Strategy
What if being generous was a better business strategy than clinging to control? Many years ago, one of my first entrepreneurial...
John W Bailie, PhD
Sep 16, 20214 min read
180 views
5 comments


What Drives Happiness (and Performance) at Work?
The single greatest driver of happiness and performance in the workplace is the quality of your relationships. When we are strongly...
John W Bailie, PhD
Sep 2, 20213 min read
337 views
1 comment


Everyone Has a Venn Diagram, Until They Get Punched in the Mouth
“Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the mouth.” Truer words were never spoken. In this case the philosopher was former...
John W Bailie, PhD
Jun 16, 20216 min read
199 views
1 comment


The Clapping Place
Just because people are clapping, doesn’t mean they agree. A few years ago, I did a mini speaking tour in Eastern Europe – one of my...
John W Bailie, PhD
Feb 26, 20215 min read
226 views
2 comments


Kobayashi Maru
How do you win when you’re in a position that is strategically unwinnable? A “Kobayashi Maru” is any situation in which all available...
John W Bailie, PhD
Jan 8, 20213 min read
441 views
0 comments


Good Guys and Bad Guys
Every great and truly interesting villain believes they are the good guy. Darth Vader believed he was bringing a more efficient galactic...
John W Bailie, PhD
Nov 17, 20202 min read
248 views
1 comment


Break a Leg
Sometimes we must be broken before we are ready to change. I heard an impactful homily this year from a priest that I greatly respect. He...
John W Bailie, PhD
Oct 22, 20202 min read
194 views
0 comments

Put Principles Before Politics
The world is facing a hydra of social tensions unlike any other time in the last hundred years. Leaders and organizational cultures will...
John W Bailie, PhD
Sep 23, 20202 min read
141 views
0 comments

Four Hard Lessons for New Leaders
Some of the best lessons in life are hard to hear. Early in my career, I was fortunate enough to have several key mentors who were...
John W Bailie, PhD
Sep 1, 20203 min read
237 views
0 comments


Anti-Social Media
In the wake of the 2016 US election season, I did a lot of reflecting about online behavior – for myself and leaders in general. As I...
John W Bailie, PhD
Jun 25, 20205 min read
211 views
0 comments


Resources for a Crisis
I won’t waste time writing anything clever in this post. All of your lives around the world have been disrupted as we all adjust to the...
John W Bailie, PhD
Apr 6, 20201 min read
115 views
0 comments
bottom of page