The late Jim Rohn, a very successful author, speaker, and publisher, wrote a short article titled The Ant Philosophy. Every leader, in my opinion, should learn and remember “The Ant Philosophy.” Rohn wrote, “I think everybody should study ants. They have an amazing four-part philosophy. Here is the first part: ants never quit. That’s …
Gary Burnison, CEO of Korn/Ferry International, the world’s largest executive search firm, has written a new book well worth reading. The recently published new book is titled, The Twelve Absolutes of Leadership. Burnison is particularly well qualified to write a guide to effective leadership. He experiences every day what it is like to be responsible …
“When you start loving what you are learning, it will no longer look like work. Everything will fall in place after that. Just fall in love.” A.K. Raha wrote these words of great wisdom. The same great wisdom is also true for what we normally describe as “work.” Imagine the incredible positive change that …
Forbes recently published an interesting article titled Top Executive Recruiters Agree There Are Only Three True Job Interview Questions. Contributing author, George Bradt, wrote the article. Bradt argues that there are only three true job interview questions: 1. “Can you do the job? 2. Will you love the job? 3. Can we tolerate working with you?” …
Big thinkers, backed by integrity and big personal commitments, many times accomplish big, worthy results. Take the case of Larry Potterfield, founder of a small company called MidwayUSA, located in Columbia, Missouri. In 2009, MidwayUSA became the 18th small business to win the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Now, Potterfield’s business continues to enjoy …
It has been my honor and privilege to visit each and every United States Presidential Library and Museum in America. The Presidential Libraries/Museums are managed by the National Archives and Record Administration, and are owned by the American people. Each library and museum features the history, legacy and times of one former United States …
After nearly 40 years in healthcare leadership, I continue to believe that most healthcare leaders do not spend nearly enough time and energy learning from outside the healthcare field. If you ask most healthcare leaders to be honest about what they read, the conferences they attend, and the personal and professional development sessions in which …
It is Friday, February 3, 2012. Just 2 days until Super Bowl Sunday 2012. Virtually every person reading this article will watch part or all of the big game… as well as most of the extremely expensive advertisements! Like all events, the Super Bowl provides excellent opportunities to relate to, remember and re-focus on important …
Tony Schwartz, President and CEO of The Energy Project and author of Be Excellent at Anything, addressed a critical leadership principle in a recent Harvard Business Review blog titled Why Appreciation Matters So Much. No leader who desires leadership excellence can ignore this critical success factor: “Whatever else each of us derives from our work, there may …
A recent article in Healthcare Executive Magazine titled, The 85 Percent Solution, is worthy of revisiting and re-emphasizing. The author assumes you are responsible for at least 85 percent of your success. Even if up to 15 percent of your success depends on luck, you can achieve the results you desire. The author writes, “Accountability is …
“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” Sir Winston Churchill, the British statesman, prime minister, author, and Nobel Prize winner is credited with having made this powerful statement, “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is …
Do you regularly allocate quality time and focused energy in life-long pursuit of ever-improving Personal Presence? If you don’t, I suggest you should. And it is never too late to start. Virtually nothing will contribute more to your personal, professional and organizational leadership and success than improving your Personal Presence. “Personal Presence may be difficult …
In a recent article focused on Essential Commitments for Leadership, Rick Warren, the best selling author of The Purpose Driven Life, wrote the following: “Leaders are always defined by self-imposed standards. I’m not talking about standards set by other people, but standards they set for themselves. Great leaders always expect more from themselves than they do …
Improving professional relationships by improving conversations with those whom you do business, is always an excellent leadership strategy… as well as an excellent investment in your future. CBS Money Watch recently published an article featuring 21 ways to improve conversations, thereby improving personal and business relationships. The list includes asking questions such as: …
The Harvard Business Review published some excellent advice in a recent article titled Five Resolutions for Aspiring Leaders. The article was written by John Coleman and Bill George. “Find a trustworthy mentor: Mentorship is a critical component of your development as a leader. A 2004 study showed that young leaders with mentors were more likely to …
Seth Godin, the best selling author and world-class marketing thought leader recently wrote a blog post that is well worth sharing. The blog provides excellent perspective and food-for-thought for 2012 and beyond. I encourage you not only to read, but to take appropriate action as suggested by this particular blog post, which was titled Trustiness: “We’re all …
“Differentiation is the essence of strategy, the prime source of competitive advantage. You earn [revenue and marketshare] not just by performing a valuable task [or service] but by being different from your competitors in a manner that lets you serve your core customers better and more profitably.” “The sharper your differentiation, the greater your advantage.” …
Fast Company recently published an article titled, “How to Prepare When You Only Get One Shot At Persuasion.” The article argues that when you have only one shot to present and persuade – as opposed to a block of time or several opportunities – you must prepare differently. Every leader has faced, and will face …
The December 2011 Harvard Business Review features an article (pages 43-46) written by Mindy Grossman. Grossman has enjoyed unusual success in senior leadership positions at several companies. She recently reinvented the HSN brand, turned the company around, and has very successfully re-engaged the workforce of this $3 billion company. In the article, Grossman explains that she was …
The November, 2011 Harvard Business Review, “How I Did It” section contains an interesting and thought provoking article that, in my opinion, all healthcare leaders would do well to read, and carefully think about. The article is written by Kevin Peters, President of Office Depot and leader of all Office Depot’s retail stores throughout United …