the importance of
understanding
the other side...
We offer insights into how the most effective strategic
plans are developed by understanding what is important
to the other side...
- Mission
- Leadership
- Collaboration
- Negotiation
- Common Sense
Our mission statementWe offer strategic advice to companies and executives around the world. We demonstrate the importance of understanding the other side and how what we learn can become an invaluable asset.
We also offer a variety of programs and projects designed to show how the people with whom we deal respect corporate social responsibility and inspirational leadership. We show how important collaboration is – and how ethical negitating strategies and the display of common sense can yield quite dramatic results.
We believe that the abiility to demonstrate to the public that you have implemented a program of corporate social responsibility can positively affect your bottom line and can have significant positive tangible and intangible results that you should not underestimate.
LeadershipWe believe in the enormous power of effective and inspiring leadership. We believe in the importance of moral authority and leading by example – and the enormous impact this can have on those with whom we do business.
We believe that corporate crimeand distrust is the result of the corporate environment that leaders create — and that leaders have the specific responsibility to create an environment that discourages unethical behavior.
collaborationProgress in any endeavor is impossible without creating a collaborative environment in which you can gather together the smartest people and allow them the freedom to collaborate.
Collaboration requires transparency and inclusion. It is about bridge-building. Creativity and innovation are the children of imagination. A collaborative environmentwill encourage imagination and will not stygmatize mistakes.
Mastering the 10 Powers of NegotiationNegotiation is the art of persuasion. Everything a leader does involves negotiation in some form. If a leader has not mastered the principles of ethical negotiation, he or she can never be an effective leader. In dealing with existing or potential partners, they too recognize the value of ethical negotiation.
We will shine a light on the 10 Powers of Negotiation that Nelson Mandela mastered in his historic negotiations with the apartheid government.
The Duck School,
the school of common sense...Common sense is one the 10 Powers of Negotiation. It is an absolute prerequisite to mastering the negotiating process. The Duck School is the school of common sense. The Rules of The Duck School couldn't be easier to understand or more difficult to master. The reason are the obstacles we must first overcome to apply them. We will shine a light on the Duck School and its teachings.
Five indispensable qualities in an effective
and inspirational leader that those with
whom we deal recognize...
- Wisdom
- Intelligence
- Integrity
- Moral Authority
- Strength
Wisdom...Wisdom is about judgment and discretion. It is about knowing what is right and wrong. It is about seeing nuance and shades of grey... It is about knowledge and knowing how best to use it. It is about knowing when to act and when not to act—when to compromise and when not to.
"As wise as an owl." The owl is associated with Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom.
IntelligenceIntelligence is about the capacity to process and understand information. It is about knowing what you don’t know... It is about being able to identify opportunitie and recognize danger. The wise leader uses what his or her intelligence makes available. It is about seein, hearin and understanding...
The owl is known for its remarkable sight and hearing...
Integrity...Integrity is about being true to your word. It is about being moral and ethical. It is about being reliable. It is about leading by example. It is the foundation upon which moral authority is built. It is about being trusted.
The owl is long associated with integrity and trust...
Moral AuthorityMoral authority is a product of wisdom, intelligence, integrity and trust. It is the process of leading by example. It is being seen as putting the interests of those you represent ahead of your own personal interests.
It is to understand that to act ethically is to know the difference between what you have the right to do – and what is the right thing to do. And it is then showing that you lead by example.
strength...Strength is about having the physical and mental power to follow through on decisions and goals—and to withstand adversity, intimidation and temptation. It is the ability to make an unpopular decision when you believe it is in the best interests of those you represent.
As the symbol of the goddess Athena, the owl was seen as a protector, accompanying Greek armies to war. If an owl flew over Greek soldiers before a battle, they took it as a sign of victory.
And these are five areas in which any leader must be a complete expert...
- Negotiator
- Innovator
- Collaborator
- Communicator
- investigator
The need to be an expert negotiatorNegotiation is the art of persuasion and a leader without superb negotiating skills will never become an effective and inspiring leader. Every leader must master the 10 Powers of Negotiation that Nelson Mandela mastered throughout his remarkable life.
Creativity, Innovation and ImaginationCreativity and innovation are the children of imagination. Unless a leader can encourage people to use their imagination, creativity and innovation become impossible. Unless a leader can create an environment in which mistakes are not stigmatized, people will be afraid to be wrong and their creative juices will stop flowing.
Encouraging a culture of collaborationWithout creating a culture of collaboration within an organization, any chances of creating the type of corporate environment that is indispensable to success becomes unlikely. Those who understand collaboration understand the need to promote and encourage both “Collaborative Chaos” and “Constructive Collaboration.”
Collaborative Chaos has been defined as “the unstructured exchange of ideas to create value.”
Constructive Confrontation as “expressing candor about ideas and concepts, but not people.”
Effective and clear communication skillsA leader must have the ability to communicate effectively and to “connect” with those he or she leads. Without this ability, it is impossible to become an effective or inspirational leader.
People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it. A leader has to communicate and persuade those he or she leads that there is a worthy reason for them to do what they are asked to do. Why? Because people do their best when they do what they love and what they believe in.
Seeing through deceptionThe owl is known by mystics as being able to see the good and evil in people. It is known for its ability to see in the dark what others might not see and to hear what others might not hear.
To be able to see through deception is a crucial, critical and indispensable skill for any leader to have. We sadly live in a cheating culture.