5 Lessons Learned About Leadership and Change

Last night I got to meet Phyllis Campbell, chairman of JPMorgan Chase's Pacific Northwest region at WSU Vancouver's MBA Stakeholder Speaker Series event. The evening's audience were graduate students of WSU Vancouver's accounting and MBA programs. I was able to ask her the rolodex question (who gets into it and why) and the mentor question (how did you find your first mentor).

Phyllis' lessons learned from the WaMu - JPM Chase transition:

1. Instill a sense of urgency
2. Create a common vision or purpose (JPM focus is on their customers and community; what they stand for)
3. Get the right people on the bus (even when some people don't want to be on that bus)
4. Communicate early and often (email, newsletters, etc.) and be willing to meet with stakeholders (employees, customers, community leaders) whether they like you or not
5. Model the culture and values of the organization - JPM culture is Doing 1st class business in a 1st class way; then things will happen; walk the talk that you stand for

Home Depot Black Friday Ad - In Spring?

Recycling of the November/Holiday Winter ad pricing theme? Poor ad planning? No one running their email marketing department? It is rather curious why any retailer would use the Black Friday phrase in a season other than after Thanksgiving day. Even the US Post Office knows that Mother's Day weekend is the busiest parcel shipping "season", which outpaces Black Friday. What do you think? 

2014-04-03 Home Depot Spring Ad