Skip to content

Leadership

Members Public

An Ethics Crisis in 2020 – Here Is To A Better 2021

Given the esteem and trust we grant scientists and innovators, how could this happen?  How could research fraud, falsified data, and unproven conclusions result in 1,800 papers in leading journals and peer review articles being retracted in 2020? And this is not an anomaly. [1] Two decades ago, jour

Ethical Research - Do What Is Right Not What is Easy
Members Public

Effectiveness

No matter how much the boss or the customers yelled or threatened, the locomotive pulling freight and passenger cars refused to move. They were dead in the water.  The day started out as planned, but then went from good to bad. The train lurched to a stop without warning. Upon investigation, the eng

A picture of a yellow train used as illustration on effectiveness
Members Public

How Competition and Gamification Can Spur Innovation

The concept of gamification is increasingly popular as a means of motivating employees, increasing productivity, and moving ideas forward. This trend is one driving force behind the proliferation of innovation competitions around the world, but it’s also true that these kinds of competitions aren’t

using gamification to create breakthrough innovations
Members Public

Exceptionally Normal

It is normal that no two people are exactly alike. Not even twins. So the word normal should not be confused with the word average. If you leave your fingerprints on something, you might as well leave your name and address since no two people have the same prints.  You hear music and see a […] http

normal
Members Public

Great Leaders Keep Cool Under Fire

My grandfather had an old saying when I was growing up, “Never burn a bridge.” At the time, I thought it was a strange saying. It was only later that I realized what he was saying. No matter how someone treats you, don’t get angry and never retaliate as it will destroy the relationship. Great […] h

Keep Cool
Members Public

My TEDx Talk: Do you have Impostor Syndrome … too?

What happens when you share the secret that has been feeding your impostor syndrome for more than 25 years? In this TEDx talk, I share a secret that I kept hidden for 25 years and the result of that secret being revealed on the front page of a national newspaper. Through this journey, I was forced [

Phil McKinney talk on Impostor Syndrome at TEDx Boulder 2018
Members Public

4 Questions New Leaders Should Ask

IDG (parent company for CIO, Computerworld, CSO, Infoworld, ITWorld and  MACWorld) asked what advice I would give new leaders. At the moment, I didn’t think it was going to be that hard. But then they added a constraint. I had to do it in less than 5 minutes. So I shared what I did when […]

Ask Questions
Members Public

4 Lessons Learned Through Pentagon Innovations

In terms of creating “Big Hairy Audacious Goals” (BHAGs) and developing an indisputable culture, there are few organizations that rival Pentagon innovations. Since the Department of Defense’s (DoD) innovations are the difference between life and death for servicemen and women, the creative process b

Pentagon innovations and DOD innovations are important
Members Public

Government Innovations: Past, Present, and Future

The world is moving forward. Some countries get left behind, while some move ahead. The deciding factor is not which country has the most intelligent residents. There has, in fact, been example after example of people of all different nationalities creating impactful innovations. The deciding factor

Government Innovations: Past, Present, and Future
Members Public

Government Funding: Does It Help Or Hurt Innovation?

Governments around the world are beginning to see just how much the everyday citizen, the small business owner, or a startup can change the world. They understand that it is no longer just the Walmarts and BPs of every industry that have a significant impact on the economy. Innovators can pop up out

Government Funding: Does It Help Or Hurt Innovation?