Accomplishment

May 18, 2026 in Success in business | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

I used to think that the goal of life is to have things as comfortable as possible. Not working hard, but maybe sitting on the beach all day.

Jewel Mitchell on Unsplash

My perspective has changed. I’ve learned that some of the most joyful times come from working hard and making a contribution.

Those are pretty general criteria – “working hard” depends on what I’m good at and how frustrating the experience might be. “Making a contribution” depends a bit on whether people appreciate what I’ve done, but not always. Sometimes it’s the more general feeling that I’ve created value through my work.

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Testy

May 11, 2026 in Success in business | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

When I get stressed, I can start snapping at people.

saif71.com on Unsplash

I also get into rushed decisions and actions which are less than kind. And that’s not the person I want to be.

But it’s difficult when I’m under stress, as it doesn’t feel like I have the time or energy to step back and regroup.

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Bad news!

May 4, 2026 in Success in business | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Uh oh! Things have fallen apart!

Олег Мороз on Unsplash

Why is this the first time you’ve heard about it?

The answer is pretty simple. People don’t like to be the bearer of bad news, especially if they think there’s going to be an impact on them personally. Even casting blame on the group as a whole is uncomfortable. So people don’t hide the information … exactly … but they hope that they will find a solution given just a little more time.

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Ripples

April 27, 2026 in Success in business | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

So you’re building something that’s going to be really successful. Customers will be happy, and your employees will find purpose and make a living.

NASA.gov

What’s beyond that?

The recent Artemis II mission got me thinking about perspectives which are much, much larger than I usually ponder. In the case of business leadership, this includes ripples you might be generating which extend far beyond your current business plan and even your lifetime.

So let’s think about that for a moment.

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Crucial conversation

April 20, 2026 in Success in business | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

As part of my management training, I took a course named Crucial Conversations. The concept is that there are particular interactions you need to have which contain high emotional impact, and therefore warrant careful planning.

charlesdeluvio on Unsplash

Workplace examples are where you might have to give tough feedback to an employee, or communicate a difficult decision. Typically what holds you back is the emotional response you expect from the other person, which generates some internal resistance on your part.

It’s not so much what needs to be said, as how to communicate to preserve the relationship. So it’s good to do some thoughtful planning. Here is the process I tend to use:

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Small favors economy

April 13, 2026 in Success in business | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Small acts are the lubricant for a society that works.

Adrià Crehuet Cano on Unsplash

I heard a presentation recently from someone who described how the small things can matter even more than big issues. In business, and in our society, we tend to pay attention to the Big Things because we think they’ll have the most impact.

But we should also pay attention to what he called the “small favors economy,” those seemingly insignificant things which matter because it’s part of being human. It could be something as simple as holding the door open for the person coming behind you.

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All leaders

April 6, 2026 in Success in business | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

What would happen if everybody in your organization was a leader?

Daniele Levis Pelusi on Unsplash

I know what you’re thinking: sheer chaos. Everybody would be doing what they want to, all random and disorganized.

But in fact, it would be healthy thing to think about your people that way. Let me explain.

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Truly important

March 30, 2026 in Success in business | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

There are some horrendous fires going on in Nebraska right now, so it was the whole topic of discussion this weekend when I was talking with friends who are affected.

Fachy Marin on Unsplash

It reminded me of work that I did in disaster planning, and a conversation I had with my wife in 2013 when fires came within just a few miles of our house.

The question is: How do you possibly save what’s important? In fact, what is important?

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Take a breather

March 23, 2026 in Success in business | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

I’ve found that people can put in amazingly hard work … for a while.

Hannah Busing on Unsplash

It’s not that people are lazy – they just get worn out. And our current society seems to love adding more and more stress, especially mental.

We need a break.

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Strategic plan

March 16, 2026 in Success in business | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

I’ve had lots of opportunities to create and facilitate strategic plans.

Bernd Klutsch on Unsplash

A lot of people complain that these kinds of plans get put on a shelf after the flurry of activity, then never looked at again. Which is totally true.

But I’d like to offer a different viewpoint, a bit less pessimistic.

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