Warren Buffett’s business partner and investment guru Charlie Munger tells this story: “I have a friend who carried a big stack of index cards. Whenever someone said something that reflected self pity, he handed them a card: Your story has touched my heart. Never have I heard of anyone with as many misfortunes as you.”…
Winston Churchill famously said, “Never, never, never give up. And “nobody likes a quitter.” At least that’s the common perception. Quitting gets a deservedly bad rap. It doesn’t feel good to give up. It seems like an admission of defeat or weakness. But there are times when giving up is a good idea. Here are five…
One of the most familiar maxims in management is “what gets rewarded gets done.” While true, what is often missed is the more subtle, but equally powerful, point that what is rewarding gets done too. Managers and employees alike don’t just do things that offer an extrinsic reward; they do well at the things they…
Relationship is powerful. It differentiates a product or service, creates loyalty, and sets you apart from competitors not willing to invest in building relationships. Companies encourage employees to build better relationships with customers. I teach the basics of relationship building in business and have written about how to do it in my books, most notably…
As the author of a book titled You Don’t Need a Title to Be a Leader, you might mistakenly assume I’m against formal titles. I’m not. I have nothing at all against titles or those holding them, and I’ve even held a few myself. I just don’t believe that a title makes anyone a leader.…
Regrets. We all have them. Some ignore them while others wallow in them. Fewer benefit from them. Wouldn’t it be great if you could benefit from your regrets or if you could convert the negative emotions surrounding your regrets into positive emotions that fueled your success? Here are six things you can do to achieve just…
Employers often hire with an eye towards those who have potential to move into management. That is an important consideration, but I don’t think it aims high enough. I strongly recommend you hire individuals who are potential leaders. Not everyone who can and will someday lead necessarily wants to be a manager. The title and…
In my work with entrepreneurs, athletes, business leaders and other highly successful people, I’ve noticed that extraordinary achievers often share common characteristics and traits. While the following list isn’t exhaustive, it highlights some of the key attributes of those who are among the very best at what they do. This is a list worth striving…
As a leader, do you ever feel your important messages fall on deaf ears? Are your carefully constructed and communicated strategies always get implemented? Are you often frustrated by the difference between the results you ask of others and what you actually get? Leaders agonize when developing vision, mission and strategy. They carefully choose words…
Many wish wonderful things at the beginning of the New Year. I don’t want to be the exception. But I also don’t want to wish you the same tried and tired things that we are commonly wished. So, this year, I want to not wish you the familiar and instead wish you the better: I…