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Archive for Leadership Growth

Why are you settling for mediocre?

Thursday, December 15th, 2011

Nothing mediocre...you deserve better.

As I write this there are 16 days left in 2011. How was your year? For me it’s been a very trying year, both business and personal challenges have reared their ugly heads this year and both have been faced and brought under control… thankfully.

All around me I’ve been listening to the media, other business owners, relatives and friends many spewing doom and gloom and casting enough blame for their circumstances on anyone and everyone.

It is at this time of year…every year…that I take time to reflect on the highs and lows of the year past and prepare for what’s ahead in the new year. In doing this exercise, I once again find that if the results sucked there is only ONE person to blame or chastise…ME. In your case…YOU.

Other people can create circumstances and throw challenges in our path Read More→

Everyone in the world has exactly the same numbers to work with, 24 hours in a day, 168 hours in a week and 8,736 hours in a year.

Interestingly that even though we all start out on equal footing, a few will use their time in ways that advance their careers, improve their personal relationships, improve their health and increase their overall level of success. Yet others will stagnate and complain, distance themselves from others, only communicate via Facebook® and texting, gain a few pounds eating cheese puffs in their pajamas in front of the television, get to the next level of some video game and ultimately fall farther behind the forward moving pack.

Why is that? Read More→

New Year…New Direction ?

Friday, December 31st, 2010

As 2010 is winding to a close it’s time to reflect on what was, what could have been and what will be in the year ahead.

We’ve dealt with a sluggish economy, clients who opted not to initiate projects, governmental regulation changes, team members who had family members laid off, perhaps you faced the need to downsize your staff as well.  All in all, not one of the better years for business owners. Read More→

“They do it too…” (not a valid excuse)

Thursday, December 16th, 2010

I just finished reading a very silly sports article about the whole NY Jets tripping ‘scandal’…what?!

A New York Jets coach blatantly tripped a Miami player the other day, he was fined $25,000 and suspended for the remainder of the season. Crime – punishment…no scandal.

The issue that I have with the whole event is the example it sends to the kids. Up until now, they saw bad behavior being punished correctly…now we have a new lesson to teach, one of responsibility. Read More→

As a business owner, do you find yourself getting frustrated when all around you seem to think differently from you? Angry when the simplest of tasks or requests seem to be an imposition to others?  When the common sense approach (i.e. Yours) turns into an all out brawl when trying to get cooperation? If this sounds familiar it’s because most of the people you are trying to enlist to help you are listening to different stations, they’re all on a completely separate channel.

Now this channel isn’t on Sirius, not on XM, not on cable and not even on those funny in-between HD bands. They are all listening, with you canceling headphones, to WII-FM.

The What’s-In-It-For-Me channel.

The only way that you can get and keep their attention is with really good incentive based advertising on their favorite station. As entrepreneurs and small business owners we have to craft our messages in ways that create mutual agenda items. Read More→

Is it me or does it seem like there is another news story about a corporate scandal or political ethics probe about once a week? It makes me wonder how any consumer can trust any of us business owners.

I know that I’m subjected to lots of business scams every week ranging from the Nigerian bank account scam to people posing as suppliers trying to trick a staff member in to ‘placing an order’ for inflated supplies.

I also see competitors trying to cut corners, leaving out information that their clients should be told and everybody seems to be trying to be so politically correct, making sure that they don’t offend someone that their ethics actually has be called into question. What do you or I as business owners stand for, how are we different from the homogenized masses? Read More→