By Scott Westerman In the days when my dad was an administrator at the Ann Arbor Public Schools, election nights took on a special significance. It was a time when people actually voted “yes” on school bond issues and the money drove the construction of Scarlet Junior High and the…
By Scott Westerman Someone once told me that the secret of a successful marriage is to “never stop courting”. For 30 years Colleen and I have preserved our Wednesdays for Date Night. I leave the office at 5 sharp and we spend the evening celebrating our relationship. We’ll seek a…
By Scott Westerman There are no ordinary days in New Mexico. The view from Academy and Tramway is an exquisite panorama that splashes a palate of earth tones more than 40 miles distant on a clear day. Its noon, and I’m watching a thunderstorm form far off in the desert.…
by Scott Westerman I’ve been thinking about change management a lot lately. Most of us exist in organizations that have a degree of dysfunction and helping others open up and buy into new ideas is a pretty important part of the job.
by Scott Westerman Nellie Knorr, the visionary woman who created WKNR, passed away on August 10th, four months shy of her 90th birthday. She would have been the first to share the credit for WKNR’s groundbreaking success with the many men and women who were part of the Keener team.…
By Scott Westerman Tangible Value Clear Strategy Committed Team Excellent Execution Those are the four take-aways from my experience at Harvard Business School. The professors were excellent. I was surrounded by smart people who were engaged and eager to learn. The atmosphere was conducive to learning, the technology was top…
Posted by Scott Westerman I-55 Southbound, somewhere in Arkansas. The 2001 VW Jetta hums along at 78 MPH. We’re averaging 39 miles per gallon of my custom blended 20% biodiesel mix. In the trunk is a box containing Justin Carven’s latest Grease Car vegetable oil fuel system and we’re headed…
Posted by Scott Westerman “Level 5 leaders channel their ego needs away from themselves and into the larger goal of building a great company. It’s not that level 5 leaders have no ego or self-interest. Indeed, they are incredibly ambitious – but their ambition is first and foremost for the…
The year was 1879. The place: Ishandlwana in colonial Africa. The British guns faced obsolete arrows and spears in the Zulu war. Each time the Zulus would charge the British lines, they were cut down in a volley of lead. The power of the modern British weaponry was awesome and…
Last night, we celebrated our wedding anniversary. It was a glorious fall evening in Iowa. The fruit of the fields has turned from green to golden. The first leaves are falling and there is, even now, a hint of the fiery colors to come as autumn in the Midwest reaches…