“Be yourself – not your idea of what you think somebody else’s idea of yourself should be.” – Henry David Thoreau There are literally dozens of capabilities and behaviors that define great leaders. All kinds of things matter, from vision, to work ethic, to communication skills, to emotional intelligence, and on and on. They all … Read more
On this side of the ocean, we celebrate Thanksgiving this week. Most of Thanksgiving is about lots of great food and football. While you’re enjoying that, please remember to do what the name of the holiday implies. Most of us have so many things to be thankful for that we couldn’t even list them all. … Read more
“If you start to think the problem is ‘out there’, stop yourself. That thought is the problem.” – Stephen Covey I spend the vast majority of my time helping people make change, whether it be in themselves or in their organizations. When I first entered into that arena, I had some preconceived ideas about why … Read more
“Today is life – the only life you are sure of. Make the most of today. Get interested in something. Shake yourself awake. Develop a hobby. Let the winds of enthusiasm sweep through you. Live today with gusto.” – Dale Carnegie Last week in this space we talked about working hard, and the reality that … Read more
“I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.” – Thomas Jefferson It wasn’t too long ago that this topic came up (read this), but it’s still relevant. I was fortunate enough to visit with a business owner recently who hit a fairly rough patch three or four years ago. … Read more
“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe One of the most frustrating things about the world is the number of people who know what they should do, want to do it, and then don’t get it done. It happens in our businesses and … Read more
“Destiny is a name often given in retrospect to choices that had dramatic consequences.” – J.K. Rowling I’ve had the opportunity recently to visit with a number of leaders who are nearing the end of their careers. They seem to be spending quite a bit of time reflecting on the past, as people in that … Read more
“You may not be interested in strategy, but strategy is interested in you.” – Leon Trotsky It goes without saying that we live in a world of rapid, major, sometimes overwhelming change. Very few things seem to stay the same from one year to the next, and some things seem to change almost daily. Along … Read more
“Everything you can imagine is real.” – Pablo Picasso The dictionary definition of realism is “the attitude or practice of accepting a situation as it is and being prepared to deal with it accordingly.” Certainly we need to understand and be honest with ourselves about whatever situation we’re in. That’s not a bad thing. The … Read more
“There’s always free cheese in the mouse traps, but the mice there aren’t happy.” – Anonymous One of the hazards of my occupation is that sometimes people make assumptions. Perhaps the most common assumption is that when we say we can help your business be more successful, people assume that means we’re going to bring … Read more
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