Category: Grows
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Stop Trying to Measure Up
Most of us struggle to measure up. It can be subtle but not hard to see when we look. We want to get the grade, win the prize, be special. Or at least be in the running, not in last place. Even those of us who eschew the rat race strain to distinguish ourselves by […]
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3 Reactions to Growth
We are entering what could be one of the largest spikes in economic growth we’ve seen in a generation or two. Pent up demand and cash continues to explode. How will we respond when growth hits us? We have three choices: Give It: Stomp on the gas. Work harder. Push.Give In: Duck for cover. Tread…
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Stuck in Fear Gear
It’s easy to see people–in your clan, company, community, and country–stuck in fear gear. Your first job here, good leader, is to show yourself that fear gear is neither necessary nor helpful. It is helpful to feel and acknowledge fear when it happens. But we can’t stay there. Realistic optimism always works better. Now, share…
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Outfeel
Show me a company (or family, town, or country) in trouble and I’ll show you a company whose leaders failed to heed emotional cues. Long before the trouble started, leaders had clear signs that could have helped them steer toward success. It’s not that they made one bad, fateful decision. They regularly bypassed signals that…
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What You’re Like
“Man will be better when you show him what he is like.” – Chekhov. How to improve your leadership and your team’s.
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Great Organization and Wonderful Life?
Building a great organization–one that is sustained, meaningful, rewarding, and valuable–doesn’t necessarily mean building a large organization. Living a wonderful life–one filled with freedom, happiness, growth, and creativity–doesn’t necessarily mean living a large life. Now that we have that out of the way, good leader, what’s to stop you from building a great organization and…
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Go Beyond (Hiring) The Stars
If our strategy is to hire only stars, it will be expensive and we will have a tough time finding people. We will also have a tough time when the stars stumble in the face of new things. Often stars stick rigidly to what made them stars. And there are always lots of new things.…
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Without Much Effort
Without much effort, we can tune to an endless stream of opinion that things are bad–getting worse–and we’re all on the brink of disaster. Soon we’re swept away, feeling bad, and acting accordingly. Without much effort, we can look around and see none of that is true. In fact, there’s lots to appreciate and feel…
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Gatekeeping
Most gatekeepers–those who would keep us out–are powerless. In the short term they throw up obstacles. But in the long term they’ve got nothing. Secretly they know it, are simply afraid, and deep down want us in. The only real gatekeeper–the one who can actually keep us out of anything–is inside us. Secretly we know…
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That Important Project?
You know that important project? The one you’d get to someday when you had some time? The one that maybe takes you out of your comfort zone? If today isn’t that someday–if you haven’t yet taken advantage of these times to launch that project–maybe it’s not the right project and you can let it go.…