“When dealing with complex transportation issues, the best thing to do is pull up with a cold beer and let somebody else figure it out.” – Anthony Bourdain There’s an interesting contradiction that I hear from leaders on a regular basis. When I ask leaders about the strengths of their organization, almost invariably they say … Read more
“Slaying sacred cows makes great steaks.” – Dick Nicolose I was reminded recently of a problem that many leaders face on a daily basis. I was visiting with the leader of a business that’s been around a long time and, by virtually any measure, has been very successful. Over the past few years, however, things … Read more
“A good plan implemented today is better than a perfect plan implemented tomorrow.” – George S. Patton One of the struggles of leading in today’s world is the feeling that you don’t always have all the information. There are so many moving parts and so many things change so rapidly that we end up with … Read more
“The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” – George Bernard Shaw One of the easiest things to do in life is to make assumptions. Sometimes it feels like we have so many things going on in our lives that we have no choice. We can’t possibly be intentional … Read more
“Few days are sunny. Few days are perfect. Instead, most days have something wrong with them, us, or others. Stop waiting for perfect days and start marching forward.” – Jim Collins One of the critical things leaders do is make decisions. Whether it’s about people, products, customers, whatever – fixing priorities and goals and a … Read more
“The art of life lies in a constant readjustment to our surroundings.” – Kakuzo Okakura Change is constant. There is no part of our businesses that is exempt from it. Our customers change, our competitors change, or people change, our products change, the rules we’re required to follow change – there’s no end to it. … Read more
“Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe The thoughts in my head today aren’t new. If you like you could go back and read this, and this, and this and get roughly the same idea. And yet every day I’m reminded that the topic is … Read more
“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 don’t get paid for the hour. You get paid for the value you bring to the hour.” – Jim Rohn I’ve experienced a recurring theme lately, and it’s not a positive one. I work with a lot of great leaders who also happen to be great people. They work hard, and most of them … 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
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