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Course 2: People (REALLY) First—OUT NOW

Take care of people. Train them and train them and train them and treat them with kindness and respect and help them prepare for tomorrow. Insist that every employee commit to growth and care for their mates (this goes double—or triple—in today’s troubled times). Goal: Extreme Employee Engagement (E3). Bottom line: make Excellence the norm in all people matters.

That’s it.

This course looks at the “people (what- the-hell-else-is-there?) issue” through eleven different lenses—that is, eleven steps. My goal is to inflame (!) your desire (!) to work harder (!) and more creatively (!) on the “people stuff”—and to provide you with practical (ready- to-use-today) approaches to doing so.

VIEW COURSE 2 NOW

Karen Mangia’s Extreme Humanism Meaning

Karen Mangia is a VP of Customer & Market Insights at Salesforce. She is spearheading some great projects with Tom, introducing him to the Salesforce audience. Karen and Tom share a love of travel. Be sure to check out her books Listen Up! and Working From Home.

We were excited for her unique perspective on: What does extreme humanism mean to you?

Billy Dexter, Extreme Humanism Meaning

Billy Dexter is a Managing Partner of Heidrick & Struggles. He is a member of their Global Diversity Advisory Services practice, which assists clients in creating diverse leadership teams.

That is why we asked him, "What does extreme humanism mean to you?"

Linda Holliday, Extreme Humanism Meaning

Linda is an entrepreneur and powerhouse female leader. She is the Founder/CEO of Citia, a technology software company, which offers a new way to structure and share content.

We asked her, "What does Extreme Humanism mean to you?"

Robert Kessler on Extreme Humanism

Robert Kessler is the Communications Director at EcoHealth Alliance (EHA). EHA is an international nonprofit comprised of doctors and scientists who search for the origins of pandemics, influence public policy around the world to prevent them, and provide their science to industry in order to develop therapeutics to combat spread of disease.

Needless to say, Robert has had a busy year. We initially invited him to help us with a test run, but his professionalism, humor, and humanity inspired us. Robert Kessler contributes to what is a great culture at EHA, so we asked him: What does extreme humanism mean to you?

Linda Hill, Extreme Humanism Meaning

Dr. Linda Hill works at the Harvard Business School as the Wallace Brett Donham Professor of Business Administration and faculty chair of the Leadership Initiative. Regarded as a top expert on leadership and innovation, Hill co-wrote Collective Genius: The Art and Practice of Leading Innovation (Harvard Business Review Press 2014) and co-founded Paradox Strategies.

As a fellow Thinkers50 award winner, we’ve long admired Dr. Hill's work on innovation and leadership so we asked her, "What does Extreme Humanism mean to you?"

Seth Godin, Extreme Humanism Video

What does Extreme Humanism mean to you?

Seth Godin is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, and speaker. He has written 24 books about business and marketing—but that's not why we asked Seth this question. Seth and Tom have known each other for decades and not only respect the other's work, but are also good friends.

"[Tom is] the OG. The person who enabled me to do the work I've been doing for 30 years." -Seth

Excellence Now Interviews

Tom's latest book, Excellence Now: Extreme Humanism, and first course, The Power of Excellence, have been seeing great success since their release on March 15th! Here are some terrific conversations Tom has had about them. Watch to hear straight from Tom why he thinks the Excellence Now campaign is crucial right now.

Tom Peters and Seth Godin 2021, 1 April, 2021

Punk CX podcast (#381​) with Tom Peters - Extreme Humanizaton, Punk CX with Adrian Swinscoe, 27 March, 2021

Excellence Now: Extreme Humanism with Tom Peters, Jaffe Juice TV with Joseph Jaffe, 22 March, 2021

DisrupTV Special Edition Episode Featuring Tom Peters, DisrupTV with Vala Afshar and Ray Wang, 18 March, 2021

Welcome Legendary Thought Leader Tom Peters to Clubhouse, Thinkers Infinity with Mitch Joel, 16 March, 2021

Dr Diane Hamilton Interviews Tom Peters 2021, Take The Lead with Dr. Diane Hamilton, 15 March, 2021

Tom Peters, Author, Leadership Expert On His Last Book, Excellence Now: Extreme Humanism, The Innovative Mindset with Izolda Trakhtenberg, 15 March, 2021

Excellene Now (And Forever) With Tom Peters, Love Is Just Damn Good Business with Steve Farber, 5 March, 2021

Extreme Humanism with Tom Peters‬, Conversations With Phil with Phil Gerbyshak, 3 February, 2021

Excellence Now: It’s All About the Human Stuff with Tom Peter‪s‬, What's Next! with Tiffani Bova, 21 January, 2021

McKinsey Final Thoughts

The Financial Times asked me to write about the $600 million settlement that McKinsey accepted as recompense for its disgraceful role, via Purdue Pharma, in potentially abetting the opioid crisis.

McKinsey’s work on opioid sales represents a new low:
My former consultancy demonstrates what is wrong with business school graduates

This month McKinsey agreed to pay nearly $600m to settle claims that its advice had exacerbated the deadly US opioid crisis.

Read the full article at Financial Times

One bit from my submitted draft, which I unequivocally approved, did not make the final cut. I suggested that I fervently believe that heads in a not small number should or should have rolled. I am a U.S. Navy (and Royal Navy) veteran, and believe the Captain and those in the direct chain of command should go down with the ship. I observed that in a case close at hand during my service in Vietnam in 1966-67.

I can present no hard evidence, but from a couple of conversations with people who are well informed, it is my understanding that headrolling has been minimal. Certainly the Managing Director should have been fired, one hopes with no accompanying benefits. Though I do not know modern McKinsey, the Office Manager and all those between him or her and the coal face should have been shown the door as well.

I am not a vindictive person, but this situation is so appalling that, I believe, the punishment should match the crime.

What is more worrying from my conversations is that the centerpiece of the internal response has apparently been to revise processes.

Sure, but ...

The issue is not a “process issue.” It is a culture and values and morals issue that runs to the core of the way McKinsey does business. It will in no way be solved with process change and a lecture or two. It requires deep reflection about “who we are and what we believe”—as human beings far more than “professionals.”. (In my angrier moments, of which there are many, I almost think McKinsey should consider shutting its doors and closing down.)

Such are my more pointed concerns largely not addressed in the original, far more analytic, article.

Respectfully,
Tom Peters

February Media Sightings

Check out these articles to keep up-to-date on all things Tom.

The Financial Times released Tom's op-ed on the McKinsey-Purdue Pharma affair today, February 15th. For Tom's thoughts on his former employers' role in Purdue Pharma rebates read his opinion piece now, Tom Peters: McKinsey’s work on opioid sales represents a new low.

Fast Company's February 3rd article, A Personal Branding Expert Shares What it Takes to Build a Successful Reputation by Wendy Marx, remind us of Tom's five keys to help sharpen your image:

  • Prioritize Continued Education
  • Seek Out Diverse Reading Material
  • Strive for Exceptional Performance
  • Network Broadly
  • Take on a Humanist Approach

In this Loop North article by Howard Tullman, How To Walk Around The Office - Even If There Isn't One, Tullman reminds us that Tom's idea of Managing by Walking Around (MBWA) is just as important when your employees are working from home.