logo
Already a member? Login here
Avatar of Shawn Murphy

Posts by Shawn Murphy

Founder, Principal Consultant at Achieved Strategies. We help organizations redefine how they create value. And we love to do this by bringing people, strategy, and leadership together. Connect with Shawn at his website, his LeadChange Profile, Twitter or LinkedIn.

People Are Not Units

standard
1549913289_a888ac7623_m

Your computer is a unit. You have an air conditioning unit. Unit is a measurement with a definite value. Engineers have predictably mapped out how your computer and air conditioning unit works and performs under a variety of conditions. Businesses have a history of attempting to do the same thing to humans. Sparing you an » Read More

Stir Yourself Up . . .

standard
stir-yourself-up

to hear ideas from the Unusual Suspects in your organization Be relentless in your exploration of what you stand for as a leader Move on from peers who blindly build support status quo thinking Investigate with curiosity ways to re-imagine what works Communicate. Connect people to people. Raise your hand to do something that scares » Read More

Leadership Is a Choice

standard
choice_is_purpose21

I recently attended a Rypple webinar led by John Baldoni. In it he said, “Leadership is a choice.” It’s a seemingly obvious conclusion. However, there are layers of meaning to John’s statement that proved to me to be quite compelling. Too often we work with leaders who never made the choice. They merely act a » Read More

When People Collide

standard
man_silence_citylifeSmall-300x185

“We’re always behind this metal and glass. Nobody touches you.” If you saw the move Crash you may recognize this line. The symbolism is piercing: We’re either tough like metal or ready to break with any pressure like glass. This is the fragility in life. People collide. The kicker, though, is in the second sentence » Read More

Leadership on Purpose – Conclusion

standard
torch_lead the way_XSmall

You have tremendous capacity to inspire people to contribute their best.  In yesterday’s Beginning post, I wrote about Values and Life Purpose.  These two core areas of Leadership on Purpose ground you, force you to sit up straight.  They help steer your leadership so that you can more clearly understand the third core areas of » Read More

Leadership on Purpose – Beginning

standard
Person_Pondering_XSmall

The reality is forces exist to malign your leadership to mediocrity. Steven Pressfield and Seth Godin call it Resistance. And Resistance is alive in the endless chatter in our heads.  Mediocrity is also what we achieve when we go with what’s popular despite every inch of our soul screaming to go to unexplored, lesser-known paths. » Read More

Lead Change Book Project Summer 2011

standard
Book_by_blindmanphoto_small

These are times to make a raucous noise.  These are times to stand up and proclaim what it is you believe. It is time for us to come together in unison and to offer up better ways that can change the world.  Such a noble goal is part of the inspiration for all of us » Read More

Leadership Oath

standard
Heartbeat_symbolic_XSmall

This is a popular post at our Achieved Strategies blog. We wanted to share it with all Lead Change readers.  We love to hear your reaction in the comments below. Our doctors take they Hippocratic Oath swearing to ethically treat their patients, and to follow an ideal conduct as a physician.  In a conversation with » Read More

5 Levers to Raise the Importance of the Group

standard
businessman sketching business diagram

“There is a tendency to prize a few standout individuals while ignoring how much they draw on their surrounding systems of support,” wrote HBR journalist Michael J. Mauboussin in October 2009.  His words were pulled from an article advocating the importance of looking at the whole organization instead of individual influences/influencers. His contrarian perspective is » Read More

3 Drivers to Grow As a Character-Based Leader

standard
Look Ahead_XSmall

Naturally at this time of year our attention turns to the coming new year.  And in the transition we ponder and plan what to do differently or do more of.  If you’re like me, you’ve routinely found yourself falling in and out of making resolutions. Frustrated with empty promises, my approach over time has morphed » Read More

© 2013 Lead Change Group