“If you don’t see the book you want on the shelves, write it.” – Beverly Cleary It’s easy for any of us to get stuck in a rut. We’d prefer to call it a routine, but it can become essentially the same thing. We do so many things automatically, almost without thinking, things we’ve done … Read more
“What we do is more important than what we say or what we say we believe.” – bell hooks One popular topic in business and leadership circles these days is authenticity, and the importance of being authentic in your relationships as an organization, both internally with your employees and externally with your customers and vendors … Read more
“The fact that you can only do a little is no excuse for doing nothing.” – John le Carre Perfection is a fantastic-sounding goal. Who wouldn’t want a perfect business, or a perfect career, or a perfect life? When we stare out the window and dream, we don’t dream about internal personnel conflicts, or customer … Read more
“There is no such thing as a foreseeable future.” – David McCulloch One of the frustrations I hear from leaders on a regular basis is that, right now, the future seems so uncertain. I understand why they say that, given everything that’s going on in the world. We’ve all experienced things in the past twelve … Read more
“People learn something every day, and a lot of times it’s that what they learned the day before was wrong.” – Bill Vaughan Last week in this space the idea was about paying attention so we don’t miss opportunities for growth, whether that growth be for our business or for us personally. I’m still thinking … Read more
“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” – Martin Buber One of the difficult lessons of the past year is that we always have to be prepared for the unexpected. I don’t mean that you can physically prepare for every eventuality. I just mean that you have to be prepared for … Read more
“I remind myself every morning. Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I’m going to learn, I must do it by listening.” – Larry King One of the traps we fall into as leaders is the idea that we’re supposed to know everything, or at least have a well-formed opinion on … Read more
“If you can do what you do best and be happy, you’re further along in life than most people.” – Leonardo DiCaprio Sometimes when I talk to leaders, I get the impression that things like “happiness” and “purpose” and “unique abilities” are not part of their vocabulary. It’s as though doing your job as leader … Read more
“He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.” – Lao Tzu One of the things that we’ve been reminded of over the past nine months is that, when subjected to stress and uncertainty for long periods of time, people wear down. Last week in this space we talked about energy, and … Read more
“Failure is more frequently from want of energy than want of capital.” – Daniel Webster Energy, or lack thereof, has been an issue for leaders for as long as leaders have existed. I’m sure that, thousands of years ago, the head cave man was tired and run down and felt overwhelmed with all the responsibilities … Read more
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