On Leadership Panelists: Archives by Category - On Leadership at washingtonpost.com

Dick Vermeil as mentor?

A better decision by the Redskins management might have entailed hiring a former successful head coach known across the league as a senior statesman and teacher.

By Gen. Monty Meigs (Ret.) | October 30, 2009; 04:13 PM ET | Comments (0)

Replace Cerruto and Snyder

The fault lies not with Coach Zorn, but with Dan Snyder and Vince Cerruto for their draft and free-agency decisions. They are the managers who need to be replaced

By Michael Maccoby | October 28, 2009; 10:56 AM ET | Comments (0)

Crippling the coach

The problem was not with the decision to address a perceived shortcoming, which had to be done, but in crippling the coach's ability to lead effectively.

By Mickey Edwards | October 28, 2009; 10:53 AM ET | Comments (0)

Failure or its aftermath?

While Zorn's dismissal as play-caller technically throws his leadership into question, it does so no more than the atrophied offense he has put onto the field thus far.

By Coro Fellows | October 27, 2009; 01:26 PM ET | Comments (5)

Bad call

Having been stripped of some of authority as head coach, Jim Zorn will lose the ability to inspire success -- a quality the Redskins sorely need this season.

By Yash Gupta | October 27, 2009; 11:50 AM ET | Comments (11)

A private conversation

Had Dan Snyder wanted to keep Jim Zorn and not undermine his authority, the conversation and decision about his weaknesses would have taken place in private.

By Bob Schoultz | October 27, 2009; 06:43 AM ET | Comments (2)

Precursor to firing

When a single individual can bring in someone "to compensate for your weakness," you're not the leader.

By Slade Gorton | October 27, 2009; 06:10 AM ET | Comments (0)

Not an easy time to 'help'

When a leader is challenged by his own performance or when his leadership is being questioned from the outside is not an easy time to offer "help."

By Andy Stern | October 26, 2009; 04:00 PM ET | Comments (0)

Consultants aren't leaders

When the outside consultant starts "calling the plays" for the team, the role has changed from "advisor" to "executive."

By Marshall Goldsmith | October 26, 2009; 03:03 PM ET | Comments (2)

A Shakespearean tragedy

Like Julius Caesar's Brutus, bad leaders who can't see -- and therefore compensate for -- their own weaknesses.

By Ken Adelman | October 26, 2009; 02:40 PM ET | Comments (2)

Will he get back up?

Coach Zorn has been undermined, and now the owner must hope the coach has the leadership competence to regroup and move the team forward.

By Ed O'Malley | October 26, 2009; 01:35 PM ET | Comments (2)

Only one captain

When the owners lose confidence in the leader, it does little good to take away his or her responsibilities and give them to a consultant.

By Bill George | October 26, 2009; 01:20 PM ET | Comments (0)

Snyder must go

The management of the Redskins, especially Dan Snyder, has failed to show leadership. Until Snyder goes, the Redskins will not have a chance to field an outstanding team.

By Pablo Eisenberg | October 26, 2009; 01:06 PM ET | Comments (104)

No surprises

If a leader like Jim Zorn has been around for a while, he should be informed of changes in his executive powers before the public is.

By Raju Narisetti | October 26, 2009; 12:56 PM ET | Comments (1)

A Fellow Meditator

Phil Jackson's practice of Buddhism and meditation give him an inner calm and tranquility that enables him to motivate his star professionals in ways that others cannot.

By Bill George | June 17, 2009; 05:22 PM ET | Comments (0)

Calm on the Court

Phil Jackson creates a calm atmosphere in which players are able to remain grounded, self-motivated and avoid frenzy. That's a good recipe for leadership in any arena.

By Mickey Edwards | June 16, 2009; 12:03 PM ET | Comments (0)

Define Great Coaching

Great coaches must also lead their players off the court and able to make teams with different skill levels thrive.

By Paul R. Portney | June 16, 2009; 11:40 AM ET | Comments (0)

Practical Zen

Simple Buddhist ideas like "let go of the past", "make peace with what you cannot change" and "be in the moment" are applicable to everything from athletics and business to life.

By Marshall Goldsmith | June 16, 2009; 11:26 AM ET | Comments (0)

Reaching the Whole Person

Many coaches teach X's and O's well, but few can reach the entire person like Phil. He understands the soul of the player and really taps into their true being.

By John H. Cochran, MD | June 16, 2009; 12:04 AM ET | Comments (0)

Spiritual Doubts

I respect Jackson's character but doubt that spirituality on the hard wood of a basketball court would make much of a difference.

By Warren Bennis | June 15, 2009; 11:57 PM ET | Comments (0)

No two leaders have the same combination of factors; like DNA, each of us has unique characteristics. In Phil Jackson's case his spirituality is part of his guiding leadership philosophy, and it works for him.

By Andy Stern | June 15, 2009; 02:20 PM ET | Comments (0)

The Zen Christian Master

Phil Jackson said his own approach to coaching "embodied the Zen Christian attitude of selfless awareness." Other leader shouldn't copy him: Instead they should express their own values and vision through their leadership style.

By Michael Maccoby | June 15, 2009; 02:14 PM ET | Comments (1)

The Spirituality of Team Work

Jackson has always been committed to the idea that people who work together can accomplish much more than individuals seeking their own personal glory, something he may have learned from his parents, who were pastors.

By Yash Gupta | June 15, 2009; 02:09 PM ET | Comments (0)

Magic Without Magic

Phil Jackson made explicit what most great coaches and managers have understood intuitively: that the hardest challenge of leadership is to resist the impulse to take the work off of the shoulders of those who own the problem.

By Marty Linsky | June 15, 2009; 02:05 PM ET | Comments (0)

The Officer Should Eat Last

When executives take pay cuts, it makes a more powerful statement about their leadership than words could ever convey.

By Michael Useem | March 16, 2009; 10:29 AM ET | Comments (2)

Pay Cuts: More Than Just a Gesture

A pay cut has the symbolic value of showing that a leader cares about the hardships of those hurting from the economic recession.

By Yash Gupta | March 16, 2009; 10:18 AM ET | Comments (0)

Reconnecting Lost Talent

Leaders need to encourage experienced but underperforming talent to "rejoin" the team. In some cases, all that is required is an invitation, or simply asking, " What do you think?"

By Lt. Col. Todd Henshaw (Ret.) | January 29, 2009; 12:26 PM ET | Comments (0)

Warner the Exception

When it comes to aging under-performers, my experience is that such individuals, unlike fine wines, rarely improve with age.

By Norm R. Augustine | January 29, 2009; 12:21 PM ET | Comments (0)

How the Army Does It

The U.S. Army offers an example of how to motivate older, experienced workers by appealing to their ideals, offering them meaningful work, and communicating that their work is valued.

By Col. Charles D. Allen | January 27, 2009; 12:41 PM ET | Comments (6)

Keen Eye, Good Choices

On paper, the Cardinals have no business being in the Super Bowl, but many more gifted squads and athletes in the NFL will be sitting home watching them on Sunday. The credit goes to Whisenhunt, and leaders can learn from his playbook.

By John R. Ryan | January 27, 2009; 11:13 AM ET | Comments (2)

Listen to the Team

Who can best evaluate leadershhip potential? According to research, it is a person's subordinates -- not the boss.

By Michael Useem | January 27, 2009; 08:41 AM ET | Comments (0)

Coaching Up Underperformers

Think of the 57-year-old pilot who saved almost 160 lives by his careful maneuvering of his aircraft into the Hudson River. Before last week, most aviation experts would have doubted that a rookie pilot was capable of such an accomplishment.

By Warren Bennis | January 26, 2009; 04:47 PM ET | Comments (5)

Talent Management

Most people go through cycles of performance during their careers, with periods of high performance followed by periods of average or even below average performance.

By Clarence Otis | January 26, 2009; 04:12 PM ET | Comments (0)

Recycling Employees

American business leaders have tended to think of employees as disposable, not recyclable, commodities. If an employee stops "working right," they throw him or her out and get a new person.

By Joanne B. Ciulla | January 26, 2009; 03:50 PM ET | Comments (1)

Defining Life Experiences

Don't be fooled by a person's short resume: He or she still might have made many career and life choices that show commitment, understanding and a capacity to learn, grow and lead.

By Yash Gupta | January 26, 2009; 02:16 PM ET | Comments (0)

Age-Defying Quarterback

Choosing 37-year-old Kurt Warner as the Cardinals quarterback demonstrates Coach Whisenhunt's ability see far beyond age in sports.

By Ed Ruggero | January 26, 2009; 01:50 PM ET | Comments (0)

Losers and Winners

It is all in the context-- a person can seem inept in one situation and brilliant in another.

By Michael Maccoby | January 26, 2009; 11:34 AM ET | Comments (0)

True Team Player

For the Steelers, success has been less about elevating any one player to team leader and more about forging individuals into a selfless, seamless unit that shuns the notion of individual recognition.

By Bill Shore | January 26, 2009; 11:22 AM ET | Comments (0)

A Coach's Instinct

Choosing the best quarterback is only one of the many things an NFL coach must do well if he wants to dream of bringing his team to the Super Bowl.

By Gen. Monty Meigs (Ret.) | January 26, 2009; 10:57 AM ET | Comments (1)

When Newer Isn't Better

When Apple launched its first personal digital assistant in 1993, it saw the future -- but just a little too soon. Warner shows the "bright young thing" is not always the best choice.

By Roger Martin | January 25, 2009; 11:38 PM ET | Comments (1)

Elbow Grease

Coach Whisenhunt chose substance over sizzle, hard-won experience over youthful exuberance, discipline over star power. That choice led the Cardinals to the big game--and I hope it leads CEOs to rethink some of their decisions about whom they rely on in tough times.

By William C. Taylor | January 25, 2009; 11:29 PM ET | Comments (0)

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