“One doesn’t discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.” – Andre Gide It’s the understatement of the decade to say that we live in somewhat chaotic times. I won’t list all the reasons, other than to say there are many. It feels like we are bombarded … Read more
“To succeed, planning alone is insufficient. One must improvise as well.” – Isaac Asimov In the past, we’ve spent a lot of time in this space talking about planning and focus and being intentional about what you do. You can’t just take off running in any direction and assume things will work out. Success requires … Read more
“Growth demands the temporary surrender of security.” – Gail Sheehy I remember as a kid overhearing a conversation that had to do with someone who was approaching retirement. The gist of the conversation was that the individual in question had worked hard, had a great career, and was now set up to do whatever they … Read more
“Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.” – Harry S Truman Being a leader has never been an easy road, and our current times are no different. There … Read more
“If the rate of change outside your business is greater than the rate of change inside your business, then you’re out of business.” – Anonymous If you don’t like change, then 2020 and 2021, so far at least, haven’t been for you. So many things have been different about our lives that we’ve lost track … Read more
“Never be so focused on what you’re looking for that you overlook the thing you actually find.” – Ann Patchett There have been a lot of posts in this space over the years about focus. The importance of focus, the importance of focusing on what’s important, the importance of staying focused amidst distractions, etc. The … Read more
“If you don’t see the book you want on the shelves, write it.” – Beverly Cleary It’s easy for any of us to get stuck in a rut. We’d prefer to call it a routine, but it can become essentially the same thing. We do so many things automatically, almost without thinking, things we’ve done … Read more
“Be a light, not a judge. Be a model, not a critic. Be part of the solution, not the problem.” – Stephen Covey It’s easy, especially in chaotic times like ours, to have a sour attitude about things. Most people are tired, or stressed, or tired and stressed, and everything in life looks worse when … Read more
“The fact that you can only do a little is no excuse for doing nothing.” – John le Carre Perfection is a fantastic-sounding goal. Who wouldn’t want a perfect business, or a perfect career, or a perfect life? When we stare out the window and dream, we don’t dream about internal personnel conflicts, or customer … Read more
“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” – Martin Buber One of the difficult lessons of the past year is that we always have to be prepared for the unexpected. I don’t mean that you can physically prepare for every eventuality. I just mean that you have to be prepared for … Read more
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