“If you limit your actions in life to things that nobody can possibly find fault with, you will not do much!” – Lewis Carroll Many years ago, someone said that being a soldier in a war was made up of long periods of extreme boredom interrupted by brief moments of extreme terror. Certainly nothing I … Read more
“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
“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
“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
“Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.” – Stephen R. Covey It’s really easy, in all aspects of our lives, to get caught up in details. We want things to be as close to perfect as possible, so we obsess about all … 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
“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
“Every great work, every big accomplishment, has been brought into manifestation through holding to the vision, and often just before the big achievement comes apparent failure and discouragement.” – Florence Scovel Shinn We ascribe many qualities to great leaders – intelligence, work ethic, strategic thinker, etc. All of those things are important, and all of … Read more
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle I don’t think I’ve ever been in a meeting where I heard somebody say, “You know, what I’d really like for this organization is to be consistently mediocre. Run of the mill, average, maybe even a little bit … Read more
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