Editors note:  The following article co-authored by Tony Mulkern and Cynthia Flynn, Esq., appeared in the February 2019 edition of Los Angeles Lawyer, the magazine of the Los Angeles County Bar Association.  Cindy Flynn is the founder and managing partner of Hackler Flynn & Associates, a boutique law firm in Los Angeles and Irvine that focuses on employment defense.   In the

By Tony Mulkern Discussion about accountability is as much a part of executive conversations as goals, objectives, standards, and bottom line.  It is also seems among the most difficult concepts to define or make stick.  Patrick Lencioni, author of the outstanding book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, considers one of the most difficult tasks for members of an executive

By Tony Mulkern Jeff Bezos, founder, chairman and CEO of Amazon, and the richest person in the world, recently said that he wants his employees to “be afraid” and to “wake up every morning terrified.”  Presumabaly he was exaggerating, because Bezos knows something about what motivates achievement, and terror is usually debilitating.  What he is referring to is the fifth

By Tony Mulkern If you like what you read here, contact me to learn about the Leader's Dashboard. It is a great tool that will show you how to inspire others and stay inspired. Contact me at ajmulkern@sbcglobal.net or at 818 249 0147. UNLEASHING INSPIRATION is the fourth engine of entrepreneurial ascent. The term itself suggests that there exists an

By Tony Mulkern TRIGGER WARNING:  If you already have Mission and Vision Statements which are full of vague “solutions” jargon, you may find parts of this article offensive. INVITATION:  If you would like to improve your Mission and Vision Statements, or write them well in the first instance, you will likely find this article very helpful. What is your mission? 

The high turnover in President Trump’s White House staff illustrates that hiring the right person for the job does not come naturally even to the most accomplished, entrepreneurial executives.  In fact, success in deal-making and wealth generation can lead to over-confidence in one’s ability to make good selections.  Yet without the right team, the leader is powerless.  This is the