Monday, July 19, 2010
The difference between my money management attitude as a manager/executive and as a business owner can be summed up by a version of the famous ham and eggs breakfast-making fable: the chicken is involved but the pig is committed. As a young exec, frankly my sense of responsibility resembled that of the chicken but as a business owner am now much more like the pig.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
At 9:43am last Sunday morning I had just wrapped up eating breakfast with Brandi at the McDonald’s on our corner. A well known leader was going to be manning the podium at a church near our house. I haven’t visited in several years, so between bites of Southern Style Chicken Biscuit I grabbed my iPhone and Googled the church’s name to hunt for service times.
The first line in Google’s search summary read: “Woodview Church*. Space is limited and on a first come basis” [Emphasis theirs]. Really? What a first impression.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
I hear often about new entrepreneurs seeking to expand their businesses. This week a friend told me about someone who is bootstrapping a traditional business in a crowded space.
She’s been in business for less than a year, is the company’s only employee, and works out of her home. Now she’s decided to hire quickly – in fact, she’s determined she wants to immediately hire three people full-time. Presumably she’ll instantly take her payroll commitment from providing for herself to somewhere in the ball park of $100,000 – $150,000/year.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
I’ve always wanted to build a business that could make money without me – undoubtedly an aspiration of many. My ideal is the type where engagement takes the form of strategic oversight and occasional interesting deep dives.
But as many others have learned before me, growth requires giving up quite a bit of control. And stepping back doesn’t come naturally, especially to those whose “control” has helped shape the business. Continue Reading
Friday, May 7, 2010
On Tuesday I wrote a post “Leader as Loving Parent” where I championed the premise that change is necessary even though it’s really tough.
If I would have known what I was going to hear today, I would have saved the ink and just summarized Chip Heath’s talk “Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard.” It was fantastic.
I want to share my takeaways…I’ve tried to compile them so they will be relevant regardless of whether or not you saw the presentation:
Continue Reading
Friday, May 7, 2010
“Most people start life as originals and end as carbon copies.” I’ve heard this quote a few times but have no idea who said it. Regardless, it’s completely true.
Each time I’m at a conference – and I’ve attended a hundred or so at this point – I’m always tempted to copy certain aspects of the presenters themselves. To try to become a bit of him. Why not? He’s usually one of the best leaders in his field. Resist the urge.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Outside the presidential mansion… Sampsanis Loannis, a 49-year old doctor in a state hospital, said Greeks had had enough.
“I have 5 children, I work all day and I make 1,020 euros net a month. The measures [cuts in wages and pensions] are cruel and inhuman, people cannot stand it any more, they will revolt,” he said.
Several hundred rubbish collectors marched through central Athens behind a dozen garbage trucks, holding banners reading “hands off our salaries” and chanting “parliament is where the rubbish is.”
I read the above excerpt yesterday in a Reuters article that discussed the Greek unions’ resistance to the EU’s and International Monetary Funds conditions for aid. The EU and IMF are trying to save the country… by giving 110 billion Euros in funding and insisting on government budget cuts. The country, however, doesn’t want to endure the pain necessary to be saved.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
“We’re never so vulnerable than when we trust someone – but paradoxically, if we cannot trust, neither can we find love or joy.” – Walter Anderson
Trust is a quality that is easily discussed but difficult to give; no one wants to be taken advantage of, but we competitive Type As hate even the suggestion.
Continue Reading
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Mahatma Gandhi, on the final day he spent with his grandson Arun, penned this list of “The Seven Blunders of the World.” I find them insightful. And very relevant. Though Gandhi compiled the seven over half a century ago, modern day examples aren’t hard to come by.
The seven blunders are:
(Note: Credit for bringing the list to my attention goes to Margaret Feinberg who posted these a couple of weeks ago. We haven’t met, but it turns out we share several friends…one turned me on to her blog at www.margaretfeinberg.com.)
Saturday, March 13, 2010
The idea of “tough talk” makes me think of movies like Diehard or Bad Boys and the main characters’ personas…their indulgent machismo or street-tested grit.
Phrases like that don’t describe me. But at times effective leadership requires forceful displays of strength.
Two week ago one of these situations sought me out.
