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We tend to think of leadership as something you achieve, then you get to keep it forever. Or at least a long time.
But I’m a member of an amazing service organization, Rotary International, which has the practice of changing leadership every year. I’m signed up to be the president of the club for the 2023-24 year, and I’m starting to get my mind wrapped around the implications of that. And trying not to get stressed out about it.
But I’m keenly aware that I’m just a temporary seatholder in a long string of leaders, going back to 1977 for our club. It’s a humbling realization.
Read the rest of this entry »We’re always focused on limits. They provide comfort and security, in a way, because they clearly identify how much achievement is enough.
When somebody says, “give it 110%!”, it’s really just a gentle nudging outside the comfort zone. But that’s not where true breakthroughs come from!
Breakthroughs are 200%. Or 1000%. Or entirely changing the rules of the game.
Read the rest of this entry »It’s now becoming a little easier to be optimistic about the future of my business and those of my clients. But, for me, optimism has always been an essential tool for success.
Sometimes optimism is just about putting on a good face, kind of a “fake it ‘til you make it” affair. But I strive for something deeper than that.
There are three reasons I find this important:
Read the rest of this entry »This is an insanely busy time for some of you, while others are taking the chance to settle back a bit and prepare for next year’s challenges.
But wherever you’re at, it’s always good to maintain perspective. That’s what leaders do, right?
Read the rest of this entry »Being driven by ethical values can seem a bit lonely.
After all, the world seems to be screaming at us to focus on making money. The money is great, it’s absolutely necessary. But what about making an impact?
Since you’re still reading this, I assume you’re one of the ones who wants to positively influence the community, world, and society through your business.
Read the rest of this entry »Seth Silvers launched Story On in 2015 to help companies create amazing marketing strategies built on the power of stories. It’s a powerful concept, because stories operate at a much deeper level than traditional “features and functions” marketing. This approach can be absolutely transformational for attracting a loyal “tribe” of customers, donors, and employees.
Seth has had the opportunity to work with some great businesses on both a local and national level. Those successes grew into some extended engagements which, though valuable, began to draw Seth away from his core mission of helping purpose-driven businesses market with stories.
So he’s rebooting his approach, getting back to having a deeper impact with those clients for whom this will create true transformations.
Read the rest of this entry »
RECENTLY I HAD the opportunity to participate in a discussion about the newly emerging specialty of investing – called Impact Investing.
The idea is basically that you, as an investor, can decide to put your money where it will advance the causes that you’re most passionate about. It’s obviously an outgrowth of specialized investment funds which focused on avoiding fossil fuels, or promoting societal contribution, or whatever. That’s been going on for decades.
But Impact Investing is newer and more sophisticated. It’s especially interesting for mission-driven companies, because it addresses questions like:
UNCERTAINTY CAN DRIVE you nuts!
The market is shifting. Regulations are up in the air. Partners can be unpredictable. Employees are, well, human.
As a business owner, your job is to create some stability despite all this shifting sand. Sorry to give you the bad news, but it’s the only way you’ll make progress.
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING THINGS HAPPEN when you stick to a great mission for years.
I wrote about The ShareLingo Project a couple of years ago, so I was super excited when James Archer contacted me about what’s been happening. It turns out that he’s just 22 days away from launching his new book about developing programs which build cross-language learning through cross-cultural relationships.
Quick synopsis: ShareLingo brings together small teams of English and Spanish speakers where they learn the foreign language from each other while building personal relationships and deep appreciation for culture. Feel free to check out that previous article for more of the story.
THIS WEEK INCLUDED THE SUDDEN DEATH of two people in my circle of family and friends.
It gets you thinking. And praying.
This is when you realize that the world doesn’t begin and end with your business, your job, your activities.
It’s the kind of wakeup call that happens when you have a heart attack or big cancer scare.
The Values-Based Business 