Comments for Barbara Kellerman

Comment on Leadership – Controlling the Narrative by Gary Price

Gary Price — Mon, 25 Aug 2025 18:39:21 +0000

Thank God Trump is controlling the narrative. We let the DemonRats have it for the better part of the past 30 years, and what have they done? Fk it up! That’s ALL THEY DO every time they get into office. So guess what? The Golden Age of America ???????? is here and we will Never let it go again. Especially to the DemonRats. The Communists, who have Betrayed this country, it’s people, and Everything we stand for. The DemonRats don’t care about their supporters! They could Care Less. The ONLY THING THEY CARE ABOUT is Money and Power. That’s it! And if u tell yourself otherwise then you aren’t very politically savvy or knowledgeable. The Presidency isn’t a popularity contest, it’s who’s best equipped to run our country. It’s not Biden or Hussein, or Clinton. It’s Donald Trump.

Comment on Born in the U.S.A. by Chris Fuzie

Chris Fuzie — Tue, 27 May 2025 05:03:57 +0000

We should consider the perspective that the CEO’s are also followers of a Board of Directors for each of these corporations. Do you know what the CEO was directed to say, or not say by the BOD? They are smart people who have learned how to survive in the cutthroat world of business! Is it possible that these statements are being made with a subconscious actor/observer bias? Do the CEO’s have a different position, but as effective followers they are doing what they are told, for the benefit of the BOD and shareholders?

Springsteen makes some very bold, accusatory statements, to an audience in a different country. Not to Americans in America. Is it possible that his statements would not be as accepted in America by many Americans who were tired of how the country has been being run for the last 40-50 years? As Springsteen says the people can make the leadership changes in a democracy and the fact is that the people of America overwhelmingly elected Trump as President.

I don’t want authoritarianism, and change causes fear. Fear for individuals, groups and organizations. But I do want change in how our government was being run. We’ve all seen the waste of money, continually getting further in debt, and “special relationships” formed by ordinary people who go into politics and live very well off of the backs of tax payers.

We cannot say for sure that these CEO’s are acting alone as they too are followers. We also cannot rule out that all Americans share Springsteen’s views.

Comment on Trump Through the Prism of the System by Mondicastle

Mondicastle — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 11:52:41 +0000

The daily news in the U.S. is almost too much to bear these days. I guess like many others I was under the illusion that our republic’s system of checks and balances could stand up to any attempts to weaken our Constitutional rights and freedoms. Some years ago I attended an Executive Leadership training offered by the International Labour Organization in Torino, Italy, and I recall attending your session that focused on your book “The End of Leadership”. You made a point of asking how it was possible that someone like Mr. Berlusconi could be elected prime minister of Italy. Yet, here we are in 2025 in the midst of a serious U.S. Constitutional crisis and dynamited international relations/partnerships with seemingly no coherent or effective response from opposition leaders/followers. I’d say that the context needs to be understood in terms of vast (and growing) income inequalities within the U.S. as well as across countries, taking into account the enormous disparities in military and technological capacity. A poorly educated U.S. electorate in some regions, easily manipulated on social media is also to blame.

Comment on Predicting Performance in the White House by Sarah Puhy

Sarah Puhy — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 21:32:42 +0000

Sadly insightful

Comment on For Followers Who Want to FIGHT Not Follow by Michael Stepniak

Michael Stepniak — Sat, 08 Feb 2025 17:42:07 +0000

I’m especially struck by #5 on this list. (Embrace anger)

Is it possible that the great mistake of the well-meaning Democrat and liberal is believing that history is a symposium rather than a battlefield?

That if they speak reasonably, history will be reasonable in return?
Meanwhile, those who understand power do not debate; they seize, they overwhelm, they do not apologize for their fury.

If the goal is to fight, then fight. If the goal is to win, then perhaps it’s time to stop mistaking decorum for strategy.

Comment on Males Lead, Females Follow by Ira Chaleff

Ira Chaleff — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 06:05:51 +0000

Yet all of those testosterone driven males surrounding the macho president are followers. They’d better be or their out.

Comment on Leadership from Worse to Bad…at Boeing by Jeff

Jeff — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 04:37:49 +0000

The pitchforks are coming. Executive pay has little to do with performance. The executives have little to do with contribution to technological advancement.

Comment on The Tyranny of Technology by Alan kasson

Alan kasson — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 15:32:39 +0000

A very interesting and eye opening read, a lot more to think about in this crazy time and what the future holds Thank you Barbara!

Comment on Tony Blair, Leadership – A Book Review by Paul Buss

Paul Buss — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 18:14:38 +0000

I agree with your 100 percent. I would even go as far as to say that this book, if read with an open mind, is possibly the most insightful, easy to digest book on leadership, to date. Tony Blair is an outstanding political figure and this book captures the complexities of making far reaching decisions, some that are huge and polarising. He openly reveals the impact that these can have at a personal level and this enables the reader to understand (possibly) the ways that forethought/insight can have in managing the inevitable opprobrium and dissonance. A super read.

Comment on What’s Bad Leadership? by Jess

Jess — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 11:36:38 +0000

Dr. Kellerman- Thank you. I spent most of Nov 6 asking myself what is leadership now and how on earth does one teach it? Im a longtime reader (follower?) of your work and knew you’d have some commentary to help me process (and I was right). I wonder if we are asking the wrong questions. Good and bad are extremely subjective and contextual and they are as binary as the choice the voters had. In leadership, context is everything. America voted on the leadership that resonated with what they valued. For example, he spoke to the fear that people have of “other” in a way that gives them a sense of safety which they highly valued (and yes, we can debate this and I did not say I agreed personally). Those values are what seem to be in contrast not necessarily their leadership strengths. The characteristics you listed as possible strengths for him are connected to being in this culture, place, and time (as well as historical precedence). I was hoping you would also frame her as having strengths because her characteristics arent weaknesses. Because while some saw his male-whiteness as a strength there were indeed some and many who saw her female non-whiteness as strengths. She would be a “new” kind of leader in the current context- and its hard to overcome precedence but even becoming VP, she’s come pretty darn far. The fact that she didnt win president doesnt mean she didnt have strengths. Her leadership didnt speak to enough of the country’s values systems (which many people dont even know they have!) which may shift with time. So the question Im pondering today is what kind of leadership speaks to the values systems of those who are considered followers (any category of them)? What kind of leadership is sustainable in engaging followers? What kind of leadership can move followers into a shared vision of the future (ideally one that supports sustaining all of us- but perhaps that’s a moral topic and thats another essay altogether). Thank you as always for making us think. Always appreciate your work.