success – Page 3 – CainEllsworth

Daily Change

“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” – John Maxwell When we read about changes throughout history, it’s usually something huge. Somebody invented the automobile, somebody found a cure for polio, etc. Big, giant, huge, immediately world-altering stuff. … Read more

Still Not Enough Listening

“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” – Steven R. Covey I know we talked about this same topic not that long ago, but it keeps coming up over and over again. It’s the idea of listening, and how most leaders aren’t very good at … Read more

Quit Being a Big Deal

“When dealing with complex transportation issues, the best thing to do is pull up with a cold beer and let somebody else figure it out.” – Anthony Bourdain Most leaders are swamped. I can’t remember the last time I met a leader who felt like they had plenty of time to do all the things … Read more

Who’s Really On Your Team?

“A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player.” – John Wooden One of the things we say we value in our organizations is great team players. We talk a lot about how much we appreciate them, how things get done because they always pitch in, about how we’re grateful … Read more

Hope Is Not A Strategy

“Our own dilemma is that we hate change and love it at the same time; what we really want is for things to remain the same but get better.” – Sydney J. Harris One of the most common frustrations I hear from leaders has to do with the performance of their people. Not that all … Read more

Special Earns Special

“I thought treating everyone the same was being fair and impartial. Gradually, I began to suspect that it was neither fair nor impartial. In fact, it was just the opposite. That’s when I began announcing that team members wouldn’t be treated the same or alike; rather, each one would receive the treatment they earned or … Read more

Start With Yes

“I’m no longer quite sure what the question is, but I do know that the answer is yes.” – Leonard Bernstein It’s easy to live in a world of “no”. The world seems chaotic and often scary, and when we’re surrounded by chaos and fear, as humans we have a natural tendency to seek safety. … Read more

This Is Why You’re Here

“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 There are times in our leadership journeys when the seas seem pretty calm. There’s stuff going on, but it feels manageable. We deal … Read more

The Right Stuff

“If I’ve got one thing that I really believe about fiction and life, it’s that there are no minor characters.” – Jane Gardam One of the most frustrating things for me to watch is any organization that underachieves. When you see a group of people with talent and nothing to show for it, it feels … Read more

Believe and Act

“A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” – Winston Churchill We’ve spent a lot of time in this space talking about characteristics of great leaders – almost thirteen years, to be exact. And while all leaders are unique, those same characteristics seem to show up over and … Read more

GPS Blog

It's time to go "Beyond the Numbers".