You might have questions like:

• What is Level-5 Leadership?
• How can I become a better leader?
• What's the difference between a leader and a manager?

In short: 7 years as Fortune 500 executive: $8 Million/pa budget; created 5 departments; recognized for my talent; 10 years of start-up experience: founded 4 software and consulting businesses.

There are a few books that are really watersheds. "Good to Great" by Jim Collins is one of those books. Yes, I know, a several of the companies lauded have fallen by the wayside, but the ideas and concepts still hold true. It is just that the companies have abandoned them. I am somehow sure that Larry Page and Sergey Brin read the book and put several of the concepts into play. I am a firm believer in the ideas of the "bus" for example.

Going back to the basisc, I also found the use of psychological tools like MBTI or Enneagram very helpful. In the end, Leadership is about people. Understanding people, especially how they communicate and how they react to stress, is vital to being a good leader.

In 2001, Whirlpool conducted a 360 Degree study of my performance. Here are some relevant results about me (remember that this report was done before some of the most intense learning periods around the restructuring of my whole business unit, and beyond). A rating of (1) meant total absence of a skill, (5) meant a rolemodel:

How well did I manage? Apparently my reports and peers thought higher of me than I did myself.

How much was I reason for people to come and stay? Again, my peers and reports thought significantly higher of me than I did.

Here my supervisor thought more of my ability to create a compelling vision of the future than my team and peers. Is explained by my (then!) negligence in communication. I have adressed that.