I have written before about the extremes of customer service, stimulated by either positive or negative experiences I have encountered. In Kenya, by and large we do better than many other countries on this front, accepting that as everywhere there’s a whole spectrum from the outstanding to the awful. (Let’s not even mention elements like […]
https://mike-eldon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/mike.jpg400306artkenyahttps://artkenya.net/mikeeldon/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/logo.pngartkenya2020-02-06 17:53:492020-02-06 17:53:49The great and the dreadful of customer engagement
In my last column I challenged readers with a series of questions on the meaning of responsible leadership in how leaders behave with their staff. I largely held back on answering those questions until today, and I hope that merely listing them was helpful. Here now are some responses from me. Being responsible to those […]
https://mike-eldon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/mike.jpg400306artkenyahttps://artkenya.net/mikeeldon/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/logo.pngartkenya2020-01-23 09:56:142020-01-23 09:56:14Being responsible leader in the era of tech advances
As we enter the new decade, more and more leaders of organisations are thinking about what it means to act responsibly. For it is an increasingly significant factor in ensuring sustainability, and this expectation of acting responsibly applies to how one treats all stakeholders. Today, in my first article of 2020, I focus on what […]
https://mike-eldon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/mike.jpg400306artkenyahttps://artkenya.net/mikeeldon/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/logo.pngartkenya2020-01-09 12:47:212020-01-09 12:47:21What it means to lead responsibly
Please do yourself a favour and read Malcolm Gladwell’s latest book, Talking to Strangers, whose subtitle is What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know. It is deeply thought-provoking on every single page, now making us imagine we judge strangers too kindly, now too harshly. Either way, so engagingly, Gladwell shows us how […]
https://mike-eldon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/mike.jpg400306artkenyahttps://artkenya.net/mikeeldon/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/logo.pngartkenya2019-12-19 14:11:332019-12-19 14:11:33How good are you in dealing with strangers?
The media are filled with coverage of matters BBI – for and against; Raila and Ruto; waste of money and money well-spent. We’ve all been advised to read the entire 156-page document, but given what has been highlighted I was far from tempted to do the responsible thing. Then a few days ago, one of […]
From time to time my colleague Frank Kretzschmar and I host what we call “Leaders Circles,” where our guests tell personal stories relating to the theme of the day. For our recent one we selected the topic “Holding on to optimism – we can set an example.” In Kenya as elsewhere these days it’s not […]
https://mike-eldon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/mike.jpg400306artkenyahttps://artkenya.net/mikeeldon/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/logo.pngartkenya2019-11-21 10:52:372019-11-21 10:52:37Let’s be optimistic despite the flood of negative news
Along with nearly 50 bright young local management consultants I recently spent an uplifting evening at the Pallet Café in Lavington (where all the very helpful waiters are deaf), to participate in the launch of the Management Consultants Association of Kenya, MCAK, reachable at info@mcak.or.ke. I wrote a column on the imminence of this launch […]
https://mike-eldon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/mike.jpg400306artkenyahttps://artkenya.net/mikeeldon/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/logo.pngartkenya2019-11-08 10:34:162019-11-08 10:34:16After MCAK launch, focus turns to building linkages
I’m recently back from London, where for a few days I witnessed up close the vacuum of responsible leadership in relation to the endless Brexit saga. Ironically, I was following the daily conflict and confusion while being there for an event to launch the Institute for Responsible Leadership, of which I am a founder. How […]
https://mike-eldon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/mike.jpg400306artkenyahttps://artkenya.net/mikeeldon/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/logo.pngartkenya2019-10-25 08:56:512019-10-25 08:56:51Leaders ought to be fair and avoid short-term wins
Last week I ran a session on transformative leadership at a four-day workshop for vice chancellors and principals of Kenyan universities. It was organised by the German Academic Exchange Services (DAAD), the Kenya DAAD Scholars Association (KDSA) and the Commission for University Education. Today I will be reviewing the main issues that emerged from our […]
https://mike-eldon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/mike.jpg400306artkenyahttps://artkenya.net/mikeeldon/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/logo.pngartkenya2019-10-10 17:51:502019-10-12 10:24:08How to align universities with the new curriculum
Many of you are familiar with that wonderful fable by Dr. Spencer Johnson, Who Moved My Cheese?, which was published in 1998 and has since sold nearly 30 million copies – having been translated into over 40 languages. The book told the story of two mice, Sniff and Scurry, and two LittlePeople, Hem and Haw, […]
https://mike-eldon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/mike.jpg400306artkenyahttps://artkenya.net/mikeeldon/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/logo.pngartkenya2019-09-12 12:06:092019-09-12 12:06:09Beliefs that can keep you stuck in a maze
I recently wrote a column on the coaching style of leadership, and today I return to my favourite current topic by looking at what it takes to be “coaching ready.” Ironically it is often those most in need of such help that are least likely to want it or to benefit from it. Such people, […]
https://mike-eldon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/mike.jpg400306artkenyahttps://artkenya.net/mikeeldon/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/logo.pngartkenya2019-08-29 12:28:002019-08-29 12:28:00How to make yourself suitable for coaching
We keep hearing that young Kenyans just aren’t attracted to farming, and that the average age of a farmer here is 60. For years too, we’ve been worrying about the fragmentation of land into smaller and smaller plots, and about the absence of collaboration between farmers so they can benefit from economies of scale. We […]
https://mike-eldon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/mike.jpg400306artkenyahttps://artkenya.net/mikeeldon/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/logo.pngartkenya2019-08-15 10:01:402019-08-15 10:02:49Meeting Kenya’s great potential in agriculture
In the last few weeks I have paid several visits to Western Kenya, and in different ways they all revolved around the topic of leadership. I spent time with members of the County Delivery Units in the lake region; with a group of DTB bankers based in western Kenya; with staff of the Kisumu branches […]
https://mike-eldon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/mike.jpg400306artkenyahttps://artkenya.net/mikeeldon/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/logo.pngartkenya2019-08-01 13:49:452019-08-01 13:49:45Why coaching is the best style of leadership
I was in London recently to celebrate a milestone birthday of my sister Ruth, and joining me there from America were my daughter Amy and her two delightful sons, 11-year old Jack and nine-year old Daniel. One evening Amy and I took the boys to see a spectacular musical play, School of Rock, which is […]
https://mike-eldon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/mike.jpg400306artkenyahttps://artkenya.net/mikeeldon/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/logo.pngartkenya2019-07-04 11:20:592019-07-04 11:20:59How to help children gain self-esteem, resolve issues
I was recently invited by the accountants’ body, the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya( ICPAK) to run a session at their 7th Annual Governance and Ethics Conference. The topic they chose for me was “Inside the boardroom: the realities of shareholder engagement”, and this in the context of the overall theme of the […]
In my last article I found myself in the boardroom and today I remain there, following my invitation by Strathmore University Business School to be a panelist on their “Leading the Board” programme. In what follows I will refer to the main issues that emerged, and I’ll start by reporting on our easy consensus over […]
https://mike-eldon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/mike.jpg400306artkenyahttps://artkenya.net/mikeeldon/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/logo.pngartkenya2019-05-02 19:38:372019-05-02 19:39:13Leading a board isn’t for glamour but hard work
In the latest edition of the London Business School Review I was pleased to see an article by my dear friend Charles Handy on how business schools must adapt for the future. He opens by recollecting that 51 years ago he returned to England from America to join the fledgling London Graduate School of Business […]
https://mike-eldon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/mike.jpg400306artkenyahttps://artkenya.net/mikeeldon/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/logo.pngartkenya2019-04-04 17:38:122019-04-04 17:38:12Educating for uncertain scenarios that await us
We are all so busy these days, and the more senior we are as leaders the busier we are. In among the frantic activity and the e-mails, with our ambitious targets and tight timescales, there’s no time to reflect – never mind to invest time in doing so with others at our level. When I […]
https://mike-eldon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/mike.jpg400306artkenyahttps://artkenya.net/mikeeldon/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/logo.pngartkenya2019-03-27 10:26:062019-03-27 10:26:06Top managers need to boost leadership skills
We are at a time when we’re not sure whether to be depressed by all the bad news regarding the debt, corruption, unceasing politics and other ills that continue to drag Kenya down, or to be hopeful that initiatives such as the Handshake, the Big Four and the Multi-Sector Anti-Corruption Programme will lift us to […]
https://mike-eldon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/mike.jpg400306artkenyahttps://artkenya.net/mikeeldon/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/logo.pngartkenya2019-03-07 19:06:482019-03-07 19:06:53It’s not all gloom and doom in government
I feel very sorry for those who work in government, and almost as sorry for those who interact frequently with them. For the public servants, it is not aspects like their remuneration or their office environment that I worry about, however inadequate these may be for some of them. No. My sympathy for them – […]
https://mike-eldon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/mike.jpg400306artkenyahttps://artkenya.net/mikeeldon/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2014/09/logo.pngartkenya2019-02-22 17:15:392019-02-22 17:15:43Why I feel sorry for senior state officials
The great and the dreadful of customer engagement
/in My Articles /by artkenyaI have written before about the extremes of customer service, stimulated by either positive or negative experiences I have encountered. In Kenya, by and large we do better than many other countries on this front, accepting that as everywhere there’s a whole spectrum from the outstanding to the awful. (Let’s not even mention elements like […]
Being responsible leader in the era of tech advances
/in My Articles /by artkenyaIn my last column I challenged readers with a series of questions on the meaning of responsible leadership in how leaders behave with their staff. I largely held back on answering those questions until today, and I hope that merely listing them was helpful. Here now are some responses from me. Being responsible to those […]
What it means to lead responsibly
/in My Articles /by artkenyaAs we enter the new decade, more and more leaders of organisations are thinking about what it means to act responsibly. For it is an increasingly significant factor in ensuring sustainability, and this expectation of acting responsibly applies to how one treats all stakeholders. Today, in my first article of 2020, I focus on what […]
How good are you in dealing with strangers?
/in My Articles /by artkenyaPlease do yourself a favour and read Malcolm Gladwell’s latest book, Talking to Strangers, whose subtitle is What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know. It is deeply thought-provoking on every single page, now making us imagine we judge strangers too kindly, now too harshly. Either way, so engagingly, Gladwell shows us how […]
BBI report goes beyond the usual divisive politics
/in My Articles /by artkenyaThe media are filled with coverage of matters BBI – for and against; Raila and Ruto; waste of money and money well-spent. We’ve all been advised to read the entire 156-page document, but given what has been highlighted I was far from tempted to do the responsible thing. Then a few days ago, one of […]
Let’s be optimistic despite the flood of negative news
/in My Articles /by artkenyaFrom time to time my colleague Frank Kretzschmar and I host what we call “Leaders Circles,” where our guests tell personal stories relating to the theme of the day. For our recent one we selected the topic “Holding on to optimism – we can set an example.” In Kenya as elsewhere these days it’s not […]
After MCAK launch, focus turns to building linkages
/in My Articles /by artkenyaAlong with nearly 50 bright young local management consultants I recently spent an uplifting evening at the Pallet Café in Lavington (where all the very helpful waiters are deaf), to participate in the launch of the Management Consultants Association of Kenya, MCAK, reachable at info@mcak.or.ke. I wrote a column on the imminence of this launch […]
Leaders ought to be fair and avoid short-term wins
/in My Articles /by artkenyaI’m recently back from London, where for a few days I witnessed up close the vacuum of responsible leadership in relation to the endless Brexit saga. Ironically, I was following the daily conflict and confusion while being there for an event to launch the Institute for Responsible Leadership, of which I am a founder. How […]
How to align universities with the new curriculum
/in My Articles /by artkenyaLast week I ran a session on transformative leadership at a four-day workshop for vice chancellors and principals of Kenyan universities. It was organised by the German Academic Exchange Services (DAAD), the Kenya DAAD Scholars Association (KDSA) and the Commission for University Education. Today I will be reviewing the main issues that emerged from our […]
Beliefs that can keep you stuck in a maze
/in My Articles /by artkenyaMany of you are familiar with that wonderful fable by Dr. Spencer Johnson, Who Moved My Cheese?, which was published in 1998 and has since sold nearly 30 million copies – having been translated into over 40 languages. The book told the story of two mice, Sniff and Scurry, and two LittlePeople, Hem and Haw, […]
How to make yourself suitable for coaching
/in My Articles /by artkenyaI recently wrote a column on the coaching style of leadership, and today I return to my favourite current topic by looking at what it takes to be “coaching ready.” Ironically it is often those most in need of such help that are least likely to want it or to benefit from it. Such people, […]
Meeting Kenya’s great potential in agriculture
/in My Articles /by artkenyaWe keep hearing that young Kenyans just aren’t attracted to farming, and that the average age of a farmer here is 60. For years too, we’ve been worrying about the fragmentation of land into smaller and smaller plots, and about the absence of collaboration between farmers so they can benefit from economies of scale. We […]
Why coaching is the best style of leadership
/in My Articles /by artkenyaIn the last few weeks I have paid several visits to Western Kenya, and in different ways they all revolved around the topic of leadership. I spent time with members of the County Delivery Units in the lake region; with a group of DTB bankers based in western Kenya; with staff of the Kisumu branches […]
How to help children gain self-esteem, resolve issues
/in My Articles /by artkenyaI was in London recently to celebrate a milestone birthday of my sister Ruth, and joining me there from America were my daughter Amy and her two delightful sons, 11-year old Jack and nine-year old Daniel. One evening Amy and I took the boys to see a spectacular musical play, School of Rock, which is […]
How firms can better engage shareholders
/in My Articles /by artkenyaI was recently invited by the accountants’ body, the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya( ICPAK) to run a session at their 7th Annual Governance and Ethics Conference. The topic they chose for me was “Inside the boardroom: the realities of shareholder engagement”, and this in the context of the overall theme of the […]
Leading a board isn’t for glamour but hard work
/in My Articles /by artkenyaIn my last article I found myself in the boardroom and today I remain there, following my invitation by Strathmore University Business School to be a panelist on their “Leading the Board” programme. In what follows I will refer to the main issues that emerged, and I’ll start by reporting on our easy consensus over […]
Educating for uncertain scenarios that await us
/in My Articles /by artkenyaIn the latest edition of the London Business School Review I was pleased to see an article by my dear friend Charles Handy on how business schools must adapt for the future. He opens by recollecting that 51 years ago he returned to England from America to join the fledgling London Graduate School of Business […]
Top managers need to boost leadership skills
/in My Articles /by artkenyaWe are all so busy these days, and the more senior we are as leaders the busier we are. In among the frantic activity and the e-mails, with our ambitious targets and tight timescales, there’s no time to reflect – never mind to invest time in doing so with others at our level. When I […]
It’s not all gloom and doom in government
/in My Articles /by artkenyaWe are at a time when we’re not sure whether to be depressed by all the bad news regarding the debt, corruption, unceasing politics and other ills that continue to drag Kenya down, or to be hopeful that initiatives such as the Handshake, the Big Four and the Multi-Sector Anti-Corruption Programme will lift us to […]
Why I feel sorry for senior state officials
/in My Articles /by artkenyaI feel very sorry for those who work in government, and almost as sorry for those who interact frequently with them. For the public servants, it is not aspects like their remuneration or their office environment that I worry about, however inadequate these may be for some of them. No. My sympathy for them – […]