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…
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…
Over 25 years ago when I was a young speaker in the business, I met Bernie Swain and Harry Rhoads, the founders of Washington Speakers Bureau. They were then and are now true class acts, and they were very supportive and helpful early in my career. Bernie has written a great new book about the…
Leaders generally don’t like it when things slow down. It usually means that business isn’t as brisk as desired. And even though many complain about being too busy, just as many or more complain about not being busy enough. What do you do when activity is slow and you’ve got excess time? Do you panic?…
Social media is ubiquitous. In 2015 Digitaltrends reported that Americans check social media a staggering 17 times a day, or at least once every waking hour. I want to talk about three things that are often done that annoy the daylights out of those of us checking our accounts. (Disclaimer: to my friends and followers…
My long time pal Joe Calloway advises to say no more often so you can concentrate on what matters most. Personally, I’ve used his advice to great advantage. Saying no is a skill but so is saying yes. A good yes is never tentative. The best decisions are made with gusto and implemented enthusiastically. I’ve noticed a…
A good leader wants to do those things that create results and make them effective in their role. At the same time a leader needs to be aware of the common problems and pitfalls that detract from their effectiveness. Here are 12 of them: 1. Winning at any cost. Winning matters. How you create the…
There are many good ways to invest your weekend beyond the obvious one of resting (which, ironically, is difficult for many leaders). Working is most certainly NOT on the list. Recent research shows that there are benefits from completely disengaging from our work. All work and no play makes Jack or Jill a dull leader…
Did you start the day hoping that before it was over you’d be disrupted? You won’t find many people who want to be disrupted. Disruption is unsettling at best and unpleasant at worst. It forces change and requires additional effort. But what about leadership? Is it good to be a disruptive leader? I believe it…