Ultimately, the evaluation of any leader will be based on the manner in which they make decisions. When future generations look back at business wins and losses, they will study how a leader got to the decisions they made, how they processed information, and whether or not the decision yielded...
One of the things that has inspired me over the years is the idea of knowing just a little bit more, the journey to greater knowledge. I have wanted to know more about leadership, more about finances, more about entrepreneurship, more about the industries I serve, just more. I remember the words...
Being in a war for the right talent for your team is not a new thing. We have been fighting to attract and keep the best people since the beginning of time. I would imagine the original troglodytes (cavemen) were arguing over who was going to get the best hunters, gatherers, and leaders in their...
One of the struggles employees are facing in today’s market is that of having a target to shoot for in success. We bring on new employees, take them through the paperwork, teach them to do a job, and then hope for the best. It has been my experience that hope is a pretty lousy strategy. We...
Einstein once defined sanity as, “doing the same thing over and over again, but anticipating different results.” And yet, we tend to do that as humans. We feel bad eating a certain way, but we keep doing it because it tastes good. We create turnover in our businesses by not investing...
Years ago, I heard a guy from Canada speak about what it would be like to watch a sports event with no scoreboard present. He talked about how confusing it would be for the coaches and players as they took the field and realized that they couldn’t see who was winning by looking to either...
The monomyth, also known as the hero’s journey, is a classic narrative structure that has been used to tell stories for thousands of years. It has been applied to various forms of storytelling, including books, movies, and even video games, and is now gaining popularity in the business...
Leadership sets the tone for a team and determines whether or not they have clear outcomes. A great leader inspires their people to pursue a common goal while living into a set of core values, key habits, and respectful practices. While there are lots of people who are put in charge, many of them...
I hear companies talk a lot about innovation. They often think those who innovate are mysterious or are magically gifted with a creative spark that simply doesn’t exist for the rest of humanity. In my experience, being an innovator comes down to 2 primary keys, and neither of them is magic....
We often think of success in life as this grand, complicated plan that needs to be created. That isn’t the case, though. The truth about success is that it comes down to some very simple things.
The first thing is direction. I see so many people that are going through life trying this thing...
Performance reviews have undergone significant evolution in American companies over the past few decades. Initially, performance evaluations were focused primarily on individual job performance, with little emphasis on employee development or goal setting. Even within that evaluative focus, the...
Over the past couple of decades, I have encouraged leaders to share the stories behind their entrepreneurial journeys. Some have been reluctant, stating it made them sound self-absorbed. Others have been excited, hoping to inspire stronger engagement from their people. Those who have embraced the...
