John Kotter has used the undefined term “human nature” for decades now to explain why the sorts of generalizations I make about organizations and managers seem applicable anywhere: in different countries, industries, corporate cultures. The patterns he sees help explain superior or inferior organizational performance, leadership, and management cut across settings because – at some level – people are people. But until recently he had not tried to clarify what this mysterious human nature is, or how it relates to superior performance in general and, more specifically, leading complex change. With the help of inspiration from some of his colleagues (Russell [...]

It is often said that a strong vision makes a good leader. But in a crisis, people don’t need a vision to inspire them–they’re already raring to act. Instead, they need what psychologists call “holding”–leaders who acknowledge their emotions and give them a sense of context and reality. Holding allows people to channel their desire to act into something purposeful, and it allows them to more fully be themselves (and thus to be more mentally healthy). People never forget how managers treated them when they were facing loss. It is leaders who hold through this crisis, the author believes, who will [...]