“Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.” – Judy Garland Last week in this space the conversation was about understanding who you are and who you aren’t, and then getting help where you need it. Based on the feedback that came in, that topic struck a nerve. … Read more
“Astrophysicists assure us the universe has no center; therefore, you cannot be it.” – David McCullough, Jr. A lot is expected of leaders. Sometimes people in leadership roles feel like they’re supposed to know how to do everything, how to handle every situation, what to say to anyone at any time, etc. It can be, … Read more
“Whatever you are, be a good one.” – Abraham Lincoln It’s pretty common to hear leaders talk about their desire for excellence. They’ll talk about delivering excellent products to their customers, or they’ll talk about their excellent customer service, or they’ll talk about their excellent people, and on and on. It would seem that the … Read more
“The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.” – Harriet Beecher Stowe Quite often, my conversation with leaders involve decisions they’ve just made, or situations they’re dealing with, or occasionally disasters that have just happened. There are always comments about things that could have or should have been … Read more
“Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Here’s an obvious statement: there are a lot of things in our lives and careers that we have absolutely no control over. Weather, people, governments – the list goes on and on. And a lot of these uncontrollable … Read more
“It takes something more than intelligence to act intelligently.” – Fyodor Dostoevsky One of the things that leaders are most proud of is their work ethic. If you talk to most leaders long enough, at some point they’ll mention how hard they’re working. And for the most part, they are working hard. The question that … Read more
“Our greatest fear should not be of failure…but of succeeding at things…that don’t really matter.” – Francis Chan Last week in this space the topic was productivity from the standpoint of being productive doing the right stuff. I try not to write about the same topic week after week, but this keeps coming up. Leader … Read more
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear.” – Mark Twain There are any number of traits that people ascribe to great leaders, but one that I’ve been thinking about a lot lately is courage. I’m not talking about the kind of courage that usually makes the news. I mean … Read more
“Failure is the tuition you pay for success.” – Walter Brunell Sometimes, as leaders, we get frustrated with outcomes. We usually have pretty lofty goals, and when we don’t meet them it’s disappointing. We had these pictures in our heads of how things were going to work out perfectly, and when those pictures disappear it … Read more
“If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.” – Fred DeVito I’ve found myself thinking about ancient history lately. In particular, I’ve been thinking about my ancestors living in caves. It’s kind of hard to imagine. The only thing that makes sense is that if you had managed to find enough to eat, and … 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
