In my travels, I have recently been asked by several people if implicit bias – also known as unconscious bias – is real. So I’ve decided to write about it here. Implicit bias refers to the beliefs and/or attitudes that influence our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner. Now that we have a definition, does it really exist? …
Culture and Communication
Last week I had the opportunity to see two highly skilled, highly successful executives – both of whom have a history of effective communication – unravel and devolve into a shouting match during a conversation around the issues of gun rights and gun control. The term one chooses to use is often associated with one’s political position, so I will …
Culture and Power
I recently read a blog written by a friend and colleague, Jed Daly, a 25 year CEO and Vistage Chair. You can find it on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/you-get-what-tolerate-jed-daly/?published=t In it he discusses the abuse of power that has been so prominent, and now so public, in our culture, as evidenced in the Harvey Weinstein story, and all the similar stories …
Culture and Violence
The National Council for Home Safety and Security had designated Parkland, Florida, the safest city in the state [of Florida] in 2017. It was also named the 15th safest city in America for 2017. Tragically, on February 14, 2018, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, [Florida,] experienced the worst school shooting since the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012. Why? …
The Cost of Culture (at VW)
In September 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency sent a letter to Volkswagen (VW) accusing VW of installing a “defeat device” in its 2.0-liter diesel engines. The device was programmed to control engine software that reduced engine emissions to legal limits when it detected only two wheels were rolling (as in during an emissions test) and to be deactivated so that …
Wells Fargo Culture… (Finally) Acknowledged
I have written several blogs on Wells Fargo culture since the termination of 5300 employees late last year for opening more than 2 million accounts without the permission of bank customers. The CEO of Wells Fargo at the time, John Stumpf, first stated publicly that the behavior was due to bad hiring practices. (Five thousand three hundred bad hires, John?) …
Culture of Humility
“All streams flow to the sea because it is lower than they are. Humility gives it its power. If you want to govern the people, you must place yourself below them.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching I recently read a fascinating study completed by Catalyst Research Center, a non-profit research group, on inclusive leadership. What caught my attention about …
Lone Wolves in our Culture
A lone wolf or lone-wolf terrorist is someone who prepares and commits violent acts alone without substantive assistance from any group. Nonetheless, he or she may be (or claim to be) influenced or motivated by the ideology and beliefs of an external group, and may in some way act to support such a group. Last week, the world saw a …
Culture of Fear
Fear is a fundamental human emotion. It is one of seven fundamental emotions that are biologically wired into every human and can be recognized across cultures, ethnicities, and nationalities (the other six are anger, disgust, contempt, joy, sadness, and surprise). Fear is caused by the activation of the Amygdala, a structure that lies in one of the most primitive parts …
Double Standards
According to Merriam-Webster, a double standard is a set of principles that applies differently and usually more rigorously to one group of people than another. Last week, Takata, a major automobile supplier of airbags, agreed to plead guilty to wire fraud and pay a total of $1 billion in criminal penalties. This stems from the company’s fraudulent conduct in relation …