When I was a little boy my mother earned her PhD studying the precognitive development of blind children. Her graduate work included studying theories of child development. I learned from her that play can be understood as the activities children engage in to make sense of their world and orchestrate important aspects of their own […]
The Power of Play Read More »
 Understanding your market is critical to success in a world of constant disruption. Gathering market intelligence, the first step in my seven-step framework for creating an association strategy, must be a continuous process if you are going to stay ahead of a continuously changing business landscape. Your market intelligence should focus on three key
Gathering Market Intelligence Read More »
In my work, I have the great pleasure of meeting true luminaries, ordinary people who have succeeded at extraordinary efforts. Susan Neely is such a leader. Today she is CEO of the American Beverage Association (ABA) and later this summer, she will assume her new position as CEO of the American Council of Life Insurers. During
Visionary: Susan Neely Read More »
A strategy is the game plan that will get you from where you are today to where you want to be. But how do we create an effective strategy that will truly move your organization forward? In this video, I discuss my 7-step framework for association strategy. 1. Gather Market Intelligence 2. Gather Member Intelligence
Seth Kahan’s 7-step Framework for Association Strategy Read More »
Buckminster Fuller had a life-changing mystical personal experience that re-oriented and revitalized his life. This incident provided him with a deep sense of purpose. When he recounted it he told others he heard a voice that spoke directly to him and said: “ From now on you need never await temporal attestation to your thought.
What is strategy and who drives the process at an organization? The CEO is the only leader at the intersection of many important organizational relationships: the board of directors, executive committee, members, staff, media, partners, vendors and the general public. It is this unique position that puts a CEO in the best position to drive
The Foundation of Association Strategy Read More »
I work with CEOs and executives on strategy and innovation. Since 2009 the vast majority of my clients are association leaders: trade associations and professional societies. Over the last 10 years, I have done a lot of work in strategic planning. So, I distilled my process down to a few short steps. You can download
Association Strategy Read More »
Leaders today are being stressed and stretched by overlapping change and exponential breakthroughs in almost every sector. How is your leadership team maintaining their integrity and creating maximum impact under such pressure? One way to combat stress is to be in the best possible shape possible. Some of our world’s most successful leaders work hard
New Leadership Competency: Radical Self Care Read More »
Have you ever indulged in a novel or binge watched a tv show or picked up a magazine with very little redeeming value? It’s okay to take a mental vacation. In fact, I think they’re good for you. If you’re like me, your life is filled with purpose, many projects that were chosen because you
It’s OK to Dilly Dally Read More »
A better understanding of systems thinking – the idea that there are massive numbers of interconnected relationships that create living systems to help move things forward. – can protect leaders from falling prey to the false dichotomy of the “us vs them” mentality. Systems thinking is just one of 7 core competencies needed to lead
New Leadership Competency: Systems Thinking Read More »
