Richard Martin

Richard Martin is the founder and president of Kingston, Ontario-based Alcera Consulting Inc. He helps excellent executives become world-class leaders by focusing on areas that are ignored or unknown by most mainstream consultants and writers, such as crisis management, crisis leadership, contingency planning, and preparing for chaotic situations. He can be reached by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by visiting his website at www.alcera.ca.

The Strategy-Operations-Tactics Continuum

by Richard Martin

(This article is gratefully reproduced with the permission of Richard Martin - http://www.alcera.ca/)

It is often said that strategy never fails in formulation, only in implementation. This is an explicit admission that just about anyone who takes the trouble can come up with a strategy. The real challenge comes in implementing it. This has certainly been my experience in working with many of my strategy clients.

Are You Clear On Your Mission?: by Richard Martin

Leadership Catalyst Newsletter: January 2010

Note: This article re-printed with the kind permission of Richard Martin

The more I work with my clients to help them formulate and develop effective strategy and operational plans, the more I realize that the mission is the first and most critical element of strategy development. There are three basic reasons for this.

First, a clear mission statement represents a distillation of the organization's raison d'être. Second, a clear mission sends a powerful message to its market or constituency. Third, a clear mission helps to focus the organization internally around a key ordering principle. Let's look at each of these reasons in turn.

A Principled Approach to Leadership: by Richard Martin

Note: This article re-printed with the permission of Richard Martin

This is a new column on leadership for entrepreneurs. I’ve spent many years honing my own leadership skills and developing them in others, first in the army, and now as a business consultant and leadership coach.

Entrepreneurs are leaders too, as they need to influence people on a day-to-day basis: employees, associates, investors, bankers, clients, and even significant others and family members. It’s a demanding leadership environment and I intend to help you navigate these waters. Let’s start by listing the most powerful leadership principles, so you can hit the ground running.

More Principles of Effective Leadership

By: Richard Martin

Note: Reproduced with permission.

Studies and my own experience have shown that poor leadership is a leading cause of low employee morale, far ahead of workload, salary and benefits. Correcting poor leadership should therefore be on the top of every manager’s and entrepreneur’s agenda for improvement.

Many leadership mistakes can be corrected if managers and executives understand and apply a few simple yet powerful principles. A principle-centred approach is premised on the idea that leadership can be systematically taught and learned. Principles represent a distillation of practical expertise and, in some cases, centuries of experience.

In the last issue, I introduced the first six of a dozen principles that are critical for success as a leader. Let’s now look at the second six of these principles.

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