Entrepreneurs often have a tough time delegating effectively. After all, the company is their baby. They gave it life and steered it through its formative years. They know how to press all the important buttons and pull all the essential levers better than anyone else. But if they continue […] Continue Reading…
A boss has the position and authority to command compliance, but only a leader can inspire commitment.
It’s true. Some people are born leaders. They are born with the right aptitudes and behaviors that pave the way for leadership. They may have to work at it, but at least they have the right tools to develop their leadership style and abilities. Others (probably most of us) […] Continue Reading…
“The majority of meetings should be discussions that lead to decisions.”
“People who enjoy meetings should not be in charge of anything.” ~ Thomas Sowell
“Has anyone ever said, ‘I wish I could go to more meetings today?’” ~ Matt Mullenweg
“Meetings are indispensable when you don’t want to do anything.” ~ John Kenneth Galbraith
I was going to say that meetings get […] Continue Reading…
“Compensation is an equity issue. People want to know that they are being compensated fairly . . . “
The Overture Group is an executive search firm with an additional specialty in compensation consulting. We recently heard a presentation by Bob Lindeman and Mark Reilly, both managing directors of that firm. They reminded us that compensation is (or should be) a strategic issue, not a simple, tactical, what-are-we-gonna-pay-this-person […] Continue Reading…
“Prioritizing causes us to do things that are, at the least, uncomfortable and sometimes downright painful.”
Setting priorities. That’s something many entrepreneurs struggle with. In fact, entrepreneurs are sometimes likened to crows who get distracted by every new shiny thing that comes along. Unfortunately, this creates confusion as employees try to keep up with ever-shifting priorities. In other cases, instead of setting priorities vertically with […] Continue Reading…
“A key to achieving success is to assemble a strong and stable management team.”
Almost everything that gets done in business gets done by teams. Even the road warrior sales person who is out there, far from the office and hunting his next prey, needs the support of a sales team. Keynote speaker and best-selling business author, Patrick Lencioni, talks extensively about teams […] Continue Reading…
“Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” ~ Peter Drucker
We have used this space to talk about leadership many times in the past, and no doubt, will continue to talk about it in the future. It is, after all, a critically important topic. If you go to the business section of a bookstore or a library, you’ll find […] Continue Reading…
“I found success becomes a catalyst for failure because it leads to what Jim Collins called the ‘undisciplined pursuit of more.’ “
Greg McKeown is a leadership and business consultant, public speaker, and author. His most recent book is, “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.” In that book, he puts forward his very unusual belief that success in business can be its own worst enemy. In his view, success doesn’t necessarily beget more […] Continue Reading…
Don’t produce a budget. Map out a Profit Plan. (Part II)
We have been talking about an annual planning process. It began two postings ago when we talked about laying out three to five strategic initiatives aimed at moving the company forward. Then with our last posting, we began a 2-part discussion on what some call a “budget,” but what […] Continue Reading…
Don’t produce a budget. Map out a Profit Plan. (Part 1)
In our last posting, we talked about building an annual plan around three to five strategic initiatives. We also suggested that you open up your planning process to as many of your employees as possible . . . don’t restrict it to only you and your top managers. Make […] Continue Reading…
