“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.” – Confucius Last week in this space I wrote about the reality that as leaders we can’t sit around feeling sorry for ourselves (no more “learned helplessness”). The obvious follow up to that is that as leaders, … Read more
“If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month.” – Theodore Roosevelt There is no end to the list of things that business owners have to deal with. Customers, products, employees, competitors, vendors, the government, the weather, technology, etc. – the list goes … 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
“It is better to be alone than in bad company.” – George Washington Culture gets a lot of attention these days, and rightly so. For all the strategy & planning and great ideas we might have, if the culture of our organizations is no good then it will all amount to nothing. I’ve seen plenty … 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
“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.” – Wayne W. Dyer As I’ve mentioned before in this space, one of the most important (and often overlooked) aspects to success is continuous learning. We can never stop improving our knowledge and skills. That being the case, I spend a … 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
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
