If you want significantly more success in your life (however you define success)… become an expert at focused, highly effective, long term collaboration! Focused, highly effective collaboration should be an important habit and part of your personal and professional foundation… that which all else is built upon… that on which all else sits and depends

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“Reset priorities to face the new reality.” “Keep investing in the core.”  The most successful leaders and companies never stop funding their most critical competencies. “Communicate like crazy, balancing realism and optimism.” “Your customers face new problems, so give them new solutions.” “Reevaluate people – and attract other good ones.” “Reexamine compensation – what is

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You have heard it said…. “She is a woman on a mission!”  “He is a man on a mission!”  In most cases, this comment is a high compliment regarding someone who is absolutely determined and highly focused on a clear, precise, important and measurable mission. What do important colleagues, friends and family say and think about you? 

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This time of year, we hear and see much about giving.  Television and radio broadcasts feature individuals and organizations that are giving to help the less fortunate.  The Internet is full of emails, podcasts, tweets, and hundreds of thousands of written, audio and/or video stories featuring individuals and organizations that are giving in order to

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Genentech, number 7 on the Fortune Magazine 2009 100 Best Companies To Work For, has worked hard and long to create and maintain a culture that puts a premium on curiosity and creativity.   In the October 12, 2009 issue of Fortune Magazine, Richard Scheller, head of research for Genentech, explains how the company keeps innovation

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Unquestionably, the United States Military is one of the top leadership training organizations in the world.  Maybe the best in the world! A recent issue of Fortune Magazine included an excellent advertisement regarding the advantages of hiring veterans.  The advertisement included a listing titled, 10 Reasons to Hire Vets.  After reading through the list, I realized

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Reid Hoffman has always been interested in improving people’s ecosystems, whether civic, education or economic.  He has always had interest in finding ways to reach people and then change and improve their lives. As an undergraduate at Stanford, Hoffman thought the way to accomplish his mission was to be an academic.  As a graduate student

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The consistent delivery of high-quality fresh food within a comfortable gathering place in which to linger… this has been a recipe for success for centuries.  It has always been… it will probably always be. So easily said, yet so very hard to consistently deliver, particularly on a national or world-wide basis over a period of

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Nancy Gibbs wrote an interesting essay in the November 23, 2009 issue of Time Magazine.  The essay, entitled The Happiness Paradox, is well worth the read as well as serious thought and reflection.  The essay discusses results found by highly credible organizations that conduct surveys, 365 days a year, year in and year out, that measure

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Fortune Magazine, September 14, 2009, featured a fascinating article, with major global opportunities and implications that clearly displays the importance and high rewards of applying the “How Successful People Think” concepts mentioned below.  The Fortune article is entitled, The Best New Idea in Business.  The “hook” verbiage under the title, designed to attract interest in reading

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Be Silent – Listen – Learn – Prepare – Serve – Lead One of the best and most succinct quotations I have ever read regarding leadership excellence is as follows: We must be silent before we can listen. We must listen before we can learn. We must learn before we can prepare. We must prepare

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Christina Bielaszka-DuVernay, former senior associate editor at HarvardBusiness.org, interviewed Tim Butler recently regarding the topic of Staying Focused on Your Career Goals in Today’s Turmoil.  Tim Butler is a senior fellow at Harvard Business School and director of its career development programs.  Tim is also the author of Getting Unstuck: How Dead Ends Become New Paths (Harvard Business

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A very interesting and thought-provoking article was recently published in the Harvard Business Review.  The article entitled, What Your Leader Expects of You, was originally published in the April 2007 issue of the Harvard Business Review. The article suggests creating a “boss-subordinate compact” that defines a mutual set of crystal clear expectations.  Knowing that “boss-subordinate” or

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Excellence in strategic thinking… and appropriate implementation… align almost perfectly with what virtually every human being defines as success, regardless of how they define success. Successful pastors with growing and vibrant churches think and implement strategically.  The same is true for CEOs and senior leaders of all highly successful for profit and not-for-profit organizations across

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Who would argue with the reality that cultivating the potential for greatness is one of the most crucial priorities for any leader?  And, by the way, we are all leaders!  We are leaders at home, leaders at work, and leaders in multiple organizations and environments in which we are engaged. In addition to cultivating our

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“The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality.” –Max DePree, Chairman Emeritus, Herman Miller, Inc.  According to John Maxwell, “Hope is not a strategy… realistic thinking leads to excellence in leadership and management because it requires people to face reality… leaders who think realistically and plan accordingly position their organizations to win.” In

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If you have an upcoming sales meeting, team meeting, department meeting, division meeting or company wide meeting, you may be looking for a highly credible and easily remembered set of success principles that support your mission, culture, and objects… success principles that people can easily remember… and hopefully use on a daily basis.  Or, you

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Pam Bilbrey and Brian Jones have written a new book that is unquestionably highly relevant to all leaders… and to each and every person who is truly committed to greater personal and professional success (however they define success).  Thoughtful reading, with a desire and willingness to take action and make personal, professional and organizational changes,

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Are you a failure?  That’s right… I am asking you a serious question…are you a failure? After all, you have failed hundreds of thousands of times… as I have.  If you live long enough, and if you truly seek to reach your personal and professional potential (success), you will fail again… and again… and again.

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As I write this Tips for Success, I am sitting on Waikiki Beach, the Jewel of the Pacific.  The most famous resort and recreation spot in the world.  Don’t worry… I’m not in the sun!  Can’t afford any more wrinkles when you are my age.  On the other hand, at my age, who gives a

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