Featured Articles
Book Review: Up the Organization
“Up the Organization” written by Robert Townsend This was one of the first business books I read after graduating from college. It was very different than anything I had learned in business school. Robert Townsend was a very successful CEO at Avis Rent-A-Car prior to writing this NY Times Bestseller. The book continues today to top many “best business book” lists. Townsend’s brutally honest perspectives on leadership and management have stayed with me for a Read more about Book Review: Up the Organization[…]
My Last Lecture
Three years ago I announced that I would be retiring from Vistage in December 2018. Those three years have gone by way too fast. This month I will be saying goodbye to three Vistage groups that I have become very attached to over the course of the past sixteen years. I have great memories of my time as a Vistage Chair and made hundreds of friends. Things I’ll remember most include… the stressful discomfort prior Read more about My Last Lecture[…]
Book Review: Leaders Eat Last
“Leaders Eat Last” written by Simon Sinek There is a war for talent in the United States today and many small businesses are finding themselves on the losing end of this conflict. Author Simon Sinek makes the case in his book “Leaders Eat Last” that it will be the companies with the best leaders that will attract the top talent in today’s workplace. Simon Sinek is a New York Times bestselling author and also appeared Read more about Book Review: Leaders Eat Last[…]
Buy a Dog
A year ago, I was stuck. I had two problems. First, I was not devoting enough of my time thinking strategically about my own business. Like many of my peers, I would wake up early in the morning and go right to my computer, checking emails, texts, sports scores, etc. All of the important stuff. Before I knew it, several hours would have passed and I am off to meetings for the rest of the Read more about Buy a Dog[…]
Book Review: Make The Noise Go Away
“Make The Noise Go Away” written by Larry Linne & Ken Koller Owning and operating a small business in the United States is a dream come true for many business founders. So why are so many of them unhappy? It’s the “noise” according to co-authors Larry Linne and Ken Koller in their book “Make The Noise Go Away”. The noise in business consists of all of the issues that get in the way of growing Read more about Book Review: Make The Noise Go Away[…]
Five Scariest Moments for a Small Business CEO
Halloween has always been one of my favorite times of the year. I can remember as a kid dressing up in a costume and trying my hardest to scare people as we walked our neighborhood gathering treats. It was fun to frighten others and also to feel frightened from time-to-time as we encountered scary looking creatures along the way. As a small business owner I have had more than my share of scary moments. Our Read more about Five Scariest Moments for a Small Business CEO[…]
It’s Time to Eliminate Employee Schedules
Here are two conversations that I have had recently. The first was with my youngest son, Carter, earlier in the summer. “Dad, I love my new job.” “That’s great Carter. What are you doing?” “The job is with a financial services company, and I have an administrative project that I am working on. My job is to work my way through a room full of loan packages, keeping some documents and throwing away others.” “Why Read more about It’s Time to Eliminate Employee Schedules[…]
Book Review: The Art of Gathering
Have you ever attended a bad meeting? Of course, you have. We all have. Maybe too many. As a meeting facilitator; I work hard to plan, host, and then evaluate meeting events. Most of my learning on this work has been experiential. Trial by fire. There are very few books written on how to facilitate a great meeting. Now there is at least one. “The Art of Gathering” is a great book on hosting any Read more about Book Review: The Art of Gathering[…]
20 Wishes for my 60th Birthday
I remember as a kid whenever my birthday rolled around family members would ask, “What do you want for your birthday?” I always had a long list. This past week I turned 60. No one asked what I wanted for my birthday. I believe they were all too busy commiserating me for surviving into the sixth decade. Hence I have put together my own birthday list. Twenty wishes, in fact. I would be happy to Read more about 20 Wishes for my 60th Birthday[…]
Book Review: Microtrends Squared
“Microtrends Squared” by Mark Penn One of the toughest jobs for the small business owner is to look forward and try to determine what the future looks like. What are the trends that will impact my business, my customers, and my industry? Ten years ago, futurist Mark Penn wrote his first book, “Microtrends”, that highlighted dozens of counterintuitive trends that were just beginning to have an impact on all aspects of our lives. Many of Read more about Book Review: Microtrends Squared[…]