Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don’t be “me-too.” So goes the conventional wisdom. Being different is where to be. But is different enough? This past week marked the end of a long-running battle about being different.
Year: 2016
The #2 Reason Why Family Businesses Don’t Endure
Why the number 2 reason? Because number 1 is obvious: businesses get handed down to inept offspring who ascend to the throne based on the merits of their last names. You can take it from there. So let’s get to the more interesting reason
A Test of Commitment
Decision time.
We started at 3:45 a.m. and had now been hiking and climbing for over 11 hours. Our objective was to traverse the northernmost 10 peaks of Colorado’s Tenmile Range in a single push. Ten summits, all over 12,000 feet, across 16 miles.
Is Your Work True to YOU?
A friend just introduced me to Crossing the Unknown Sea, by David Whyte. Whyte is a poet and – yes – a corporate consultant who writes lyrically and compellingly about identity, meaning and purpose at work.
The 3 Behaviors that Always Inspire
We often think that inspiring leaders are those who deliver rousing speeches and have larger-than-life personalities. While this might be true in some cases, there are three behaviors every leader can exhibit that are at the heart of inspiration
How to Become a Great Company to Work For
How can your company become a great company to work for? Years ago, companies that aspired to this focused on the basics – good pay, generous benefits, flexible hours and time off.
What Makes a Great Leader?
What does it take to be a great leader? A quick search online provides the answer: There are exactly 22 qualities (according to a 3/2016 Entrepreneur article). Or is it 9 traits (Inc., 1/2014)? Could it be only 10 qualities (Forbes, 12/2012)?
Why Acquisitions Fail Before They Even Happen
You’re committed to growing your business. While you see opportunities for organic growth, you realize that organic growth alone requires extensive time and effort. So your mind goes to the other option: acquisitions.
How to Deal With Pressure
This past weekend Max Verstappen became the youngest ever winner of a Formula 1 auto race. Max is 18. The previous “youngest ever” was 21. Wow.
Racing a 900+ horsepower car on a winding circuit at speeds of over 210 mph seems mighty impressive
The #1 Thing That Kills Focus
Sometimes it’s external factors. Sometimes it’s self-created. Yet every time, it keeps you from pursuing your goals.
Distractibility. Your susceptibility to getting distracted.
3 Strange Thoughts Every Leader Should Think
There’s no shortage of conventional wisdom about what leaders should do. Here’s some unconventional wisdom
Why Every Leader Should Suffer
Excellence. In any field of endeavor, excellence requires intense commitment. To go beyond the comfortable, go beyond the convenient. To sacrifice, to push one’s limits.
To suffer.