“Whatever you do in life, surround yourself with smart people who’ll argue with you.” – John Wooden There are a dozen or more things that great leaders do effectively, but one of the most important involves making decisions. That’s obviously not some kind of mind-blowing revelation. And yet, so many business leaders go about making … Read more
“You are never strong enough that you don’t need help.” – Cesar Chavez We work almost exclusively with small- to mid-size businesses. One of the things I consistently see leaders in those businesses struggle with isn’t innovation or efficiency or sales. It’s isolation. It’s the fact that in terms of leadership they’re on an island. … Read more
“It takes something more than intelligence to act intelligently.” – Fyodor Dostoevsky Most people who lead businesses are extremely gifted, great learners, willing to try new things, open to new ideas, etc. Yet so many people who lead businesses make what seem to be horrendous decisions. Or, in some cases, they seem to make no … Read more
“If your vision is for a year, plant wheat. If your vision is for ten years, plant trees. If your vision is for a lifetime, plant people.” – Chinese Proverb Every time I read that quote I like it a little more. Partly that’s because I really do think the most impactful and longest lasting … 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
“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” – Dale Carnegie I love sports. I would be afraid to learn just how many hours of my life have been spent playing/watching/talking about/thinking about sports. … 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
“We know what we are, but we know not what we may be.” – William Shakespeare There are a lot of fun, complex, mysterious things that go into leading an organization to sustained success. We’ll save those for another day. Today I was reminded of one of the most basic parts of leadership, one of … Read more
“Life is tough…it’s even tougher if you’re stupid.” – John Wayne I had the good fortune to be part of a panel discussion at a local college recently. We were answering questions from a group of students, and one of the questions was the standard “What advice would you give students who are just starting … 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
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