“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” – Henry Ford I could pretend that the COVID-19 outbreak isn’t going on right now and write about some obscure strategy development technique, but that would be disingenuous. The reality is that, at least where … Read more
“Life is a series of commas, not periods.” – Matthew McConaughey Humans are interesting creatures. For all our talk about learning from our mistakes, or not repeating the past, or not making the same mistakes twice, we sometimes seem to forget past events almost immediately after they’re over. Part of it’s probably some kind of … Read more
“The problem is not making up the steps but deciding which ones to keep.” – Mikhail Baryshnikov I’m fortunate in my career to spend a lot of time helping businesses develop strategy and plan for the future. When I look back at the strategy sessions I’ve facilitated over the years, it occurs to me that … Read more
“You have no responsibility to live up to what other people think you ought to accomplish. I have no responsibility to be like they expect me to be. It’s their mistake, not my failing.” – Richard Feynman Part of being a successful leader – or having a successful life, for that matter – is being … Read more
“A great deal of talent is lost to the world for want of a little courage. Every day sends to their graves obscure men whose timidity prevented them from making a first effort.” – Sydney Smith We cover a multitude of topics in this space, but one that we mention repeatedly (here, here, and here, … Read more
“I believe that being successful means having a balance of success stories across the many areas of your life. You can’t truly be considered successful in your business life if your home life is in shambles.” – Zig Ziglar One of the most common responses I hear when I ask leaders how things are going … Read more
“The secret to getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex, overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.” – Mark Twain There are plenty of things on a leader’s plate on a daily basis. We’re constantly bombarded with new ideas, new challenges, new … Read more
“Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash.” – George Patton Managing risk is a critical part of any leader’s job. It’s important to understand the risks that are potential threats to your business, how severe they are, how likely they are to occur, and whether you have any systems in place to … Read more
“Know thyself.” – Socrates It’s not a secret that we all have blind spots regarding our behaviors & capabilities. Leaders aren’t immune to that condition. I’ve lost track of how many leaders I’ve watched do and/or say things that made everyone else cringe while they had no idea there was any problem whatsoever. There are … Read more
“Great stories happen to those who can tell them.” – Ira Glass There are literally dozens of things that impact the success or failure of an organization. Some of them get a lot of press: do you have a great product or service, are you great at sales & marketing, etc. Those are the kind … Read more
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