“Stop trying to motivate your employees,” I told Ryan as we settled down at our table at Chick-fil-A. Ryan is the general manager of a fast-growing small business in Atlanta. A week earlier, he contacted me to ask for help motivating his underperforming employees. “Nothing seems to be working,” he said in a frustrated tone. Read more about Stop Trying to Motivate Your Employees[…]
When my youngest son was in elementary school he was asked by his teacher what his dad did for a living and his response was, “he goes to a lot of meetings”. It was actually a very accurate answer. This past year, I have facilitated almost 100 different meetings with groups of five to 25 Read more about Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid in Your 2025 Meetings[…]
Halloween has always been one of my favorite times of the year. I can remember as a kid dressing up 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 myself from time to time. As a small business owner, Read more about Five Scariest Moments for a CEO[…]
Each of my Vistage Advancing Leader groups is currently reading Good to Great by best-selling author Jim Collins. I have also gone back and re-read the book, and it is a classic. See below for my review of the book in March 2002. Ever wonder how good companies transition into great companies? Jim Collins, author of Read more about Book Review: Good to Great[…]
It’s football season, and there’s no better time to consider your small business’s fundamentals, the “blocking and tackling”. I wrote this article over 20 years ago and am pleased to share it with you again. My dad used to love the old Green Bay Packers. Coach Vince Lombardi was an icon in his mind. The Read more about Blocking and Tackling in the Game of Business[…]
In Stories That Stick, Kindra Hall delivers a masterclass on the art of storytelling, proving this timeless technique is a crucial tool for modern business success. Hall, a renowned storytelling expert, lays out a clear and actionable framework for using stories to captivate and persuade. The book is structured around four types of stories: Value, Read more about Book Review: “Stories That Stick”[…]
J Curves “If you are not genuinely pained by the risk involved in your strategic choices, it’s not much of a strategy.” – Reed Hastings, Netflix How often do you get “stuck” on a significant strategic decision? If you are like many small business owners, the answer is “too often.” It may be a key Read more about J Curves[…]
Do you know someone who can connect with just about anyone? We love talking to these people. We go to them for advice and counsel. They make us feel safe and heard in our conversations. Do you know a supercommentator? What do they know about conversation that most of us don’t know? Best-selling author Charles Read more about Book Review: Supercommunicators[…]
Ten years ago, I first walked the El Camino Santiago (500 miles) in Spain and wrote about my adventure in this newsletter. Last month, I returned to the El Camino and walked the “Norte,” which is the northern coast of Spain. It was another great hiking experience—maybe my last. I hope you enjoy my “lessons Read more about My “El Camino” Journey[…]
Love + Work by Marcus Buckingham is a refreshing departure from traditional business literature. In this insightful book, Buckingham beautifully explores the intersection of love and work, challenging conventional wisdom and offering a new perspective on how to thrive in both areas. Drawing on his extensive research and personal experiences, Buckingham argues that love is Read more about Book Review: Love + Work[…]