“We are either progressing or retrograding all the while; there is no such thing as remaining stationary in this life.” – James Freeman Clarke Every year about this time we see published one list after another of predictions about the coming year. People will predict technological advances, weather, sports – anything you can imagine. It’s … Read more
“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.” – Confucius Last week in this space I wrote about the reality that as leaders we can’t sit around feeling sorry for ourselves (no more “learned helplessness”). The obvious follow up to that is that as leaders, … Read more
“Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought into a focus.” – Alexander Graham Bell Time seems to fly by, and this year is no different. It’s already November, which means 2019 is right around the corner. Regardless of what kind of business you’re in, it … Read more
“It is better to be alone than in bad company.” – George Washington Culture gets a lot of attention these days, and rightly so. For all the strategy & planning and great ideas we might have, if the culture of our organizations is no good then it will all amount to nothing. I’ve seen plenty … Read more
“A person will sometimes devote all his life to the development of one part of his body – the wishbone.” – Robert Frost Most people are happy to tell you about their phenomenal work ethic, or how they are always trying to improve, or how they’re never satisfied until their organization has reached the highest … Read more
“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.” – Wayne W. Dyer As I’ve mentioned before in this space, one of the most important (and often overlooked) aspects to success is continuous learning. We can never stop improving our knowledge and skills. That being the case, I spend a … Read more
“Achieving something that’s never been done before starts with challenging yourself to do things that you’ve never done before.” – Melinda Gates Here’s the least original statement of the year: We live in a world of rapid change. Everything around us seems to be moving. Very little seems stable or dependable. And as human beings, … Read more
“The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person who is doing it.” – Chinese proverb The more I’ve learned about leaders & their businesses (not to mention myself), the more I’ve come to believe that our lives are largely self-fulfilling prophecies. There are certainly exceptions to that rule, but for … Read more
“ ‘I must do something’ will always solve more problems than ‘Something must be done’. “ – Anonymous Last week in this space the topic was the fact that people talk a good game about change, but they’re not really honest about it. I’d like to say that this week’s topic will be wildly different … Read more
“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” – Henry Ford I’ve been reminded over the past couple of weeks how difficult change is. That’s not any kind of earth-shattering statement. If you asked a group of a hundred people to describe change in one word, I bet … Read more
Get to know our proven, forward-thinking accounting, planning and business consulting experts.
1008 Third Avenue Sheldon, Iowa 51201 • (712) 324-4614 & 5130 E. 57th Street, Sioux Falls, SD 57108 • (605) 610-4611
© 2025 Cain Ellsworth & Company, LLP
Sheldon:
1008 Third Avenue Sheldon, Iowa 51201 • (712) 324-4614
Sioux Falls:
5130 E. 57th Street, Sioux Falls, SD 57108 • (605) 610-4611
© 2017 Cain Ellsworth & Company, LLP
