“Nine-tenths of wisdom is being wise in time.” – Theodore Roosevelt “If only I had known,” is one of the saddest phrases in the English language. It’s not just sad because it’s usually said after something bad happens. It’s sad because quite often we could have known if we would have just stopped to think … Read more
“It’s a bad plan that admits of no modification.” – Publilius Syrus One of the parts of my career I enjoy the most is helping organizations plan for their future. One of the parts that’s less enjoyable is listening to people complain about planning for their future. Leaders ask if we can help them with … Read more
“Our company has a short range and a long range plan. Our short range plan is to stay afloat long enough to make it to our long range plan.” – Anonymous One of the challenges I hear leaders mention on a regular basis relates to planning. Our businesses are faced with so much change that … Read more
“Nobody ever wrote down a plan to broke…lazy, or stupid. Those things are what happen when you don’t have a plan.” – Larry Winget I had a very engaging conversation with someone a few weeks ago about strategy development and planning. The core question was, given the rate at which our world is currently changing, … Read more
“He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.” – Lao Tzu We as leaders spend a lot of time thinking & worrying about things that are external to ourselves. Customers, competitors, the people who work with and for us, the government, etc. And rightly so. All of those things require us … Read more
“Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out.” – John Wooden Despite all the things we say about positive attitudes and self-talk and the like, the reality is that as long as you’re a resident of this planet, things are going to happen that don’t mesh with … Read more
“There comes a moment when you have to stop revving up the car and shove it into gear.” – David Mahoney I had a really engaging day recently with the management team of a small but rapidly-growing business. This business has added a number of people, and the chaos of all the newness is starting … Read more
“There are two kinds of companies – those that change and those that disappear.” – Anonymous Most of the businesses and leaders I have the opportunity to work with agree on the importance of change. When I talk about chaos and volatility and the rapidly changing environment in which we live and work they all … Read more
“Whatever failures I have known, whatever errors I have committed, whatever follies I have witnessed in public and private life, have been the consequences of action without thought.” – Bernard Beruch I think I could edit the above quote to end “…thought without action” and it would be just as meaningful. It’s bad enough to … Read more
“Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning.” – Winston Churchill As leaders, a big part of our job is thinking about the future. Unfortunately, too often that thinking becomes worrying, complaining, stressing, obsessing, energy destroying – you get the picture. I’ve been involved way too many management team meetings where all I did … Read more
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