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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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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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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Feed, nurture and exercise mind and body… simultaneously for exponential potential and guaranteed results.  A winning combination for successful people! John is an avid walker.  When home in Dallas, he walks 3 to 5 times a week in an upscale, multi level shopping mall called the Galleria.  Typically he walks briskly around the interior perimeter of

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Want to significantly increase your personal and professional contributions, value, success (however you define success) and legacy?  Harness and indulge regularly in focused creative thinking! Annette Moser-Wellman, author of The Five Faces of Genius states “The most valuable resource you bring to your work and to your firm is your creativity.  More than what you get done,

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Guest Author: Deb Stargardt, Dallas, Texas:   A = x + y + z “If A is success in life, then A = x + y + z.  Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut.” ~Albert Einstein Albert Einstein had a formula for success.   Clearly, his brilliance wasn’t limited

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While serving on the board of directors of a fast growing savings and loan company, I watched, admired and learned from the focused thinking of our chairman.  It is not an exaggeration to state that a fire could have been burning down the hall from where the board of directors met, and our chairman would

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Through the circumstances and trauma of an overbooked, overburdened and overstressed life, quite similar to the lives led by millions of very busy people in this age of 24/7 demands and expectations, Suzy Welch developed “an enhanced thinking system process of sorts, a methodology for getting systematic about things.”  She started making her decisions, in

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In the first chapter of his book entitled, How Successful People Think, John Maxwell states that “Big picture thinking brings wholeness and maturity to a person’s thinking.  It brings perspective.”  It is intentionally making the mental frame and picture bigger so that you can see more and do more.  Maxwell explains that big-picture thinkers: Learn Continually

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It is 8:00 a.m. Tuesday, August 25, 2009.  The conference room at Ackley Financial Group in Dallas, Texas is filled to capacity with highly successful entrepreneurs and business executives, all of whom are successful leaders on many levels, including in their businesses and their community.  Each one of these very busy men and women had

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Could you improve all areas of your personal and professional life by improving and refining your thinking?  Of course you could… we all could… and we all should.  It is a day-by-day, life long process.  Absolutely nothing separates highly successful people from less successful people more than the quality and impact of their thinking! In

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