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THIS WEEK I DISCOVERED an exciting new program offered by Benedictine University near Chicago: their Doctoral Program in Values Driven Leadership for Senior Executives.
This is an amazing development.
This is a mature, well-thought-through program for those who are truly serious about leading businesses with deeper values – the same values I talk about here on this blog.
OUR MODEL OF BALANCE tends to be quite static.
Stable. Unchanging.
Unachievable in real life.
Because, in real life, you’re constantly running. Things are changing every minute, every day, every year.
The very instant you think you’ve achieved stability, it gets destroyed by the things you’re doing and what’s happening in the world.
WHAT YOU’RE DOING IS WEIRD.
OK, so you’re in an ordinary industry. Delivering a product that’s great but not exactly … weird.
What I mean is that your values-based business is highly unusual and you’re getting all kinds of “advice” that you should be more ordinary. Color inside the lines. Even become a non-profit, if you’re trying to make the world a better place.
THIS WEEKEND IS the celebration of Independence Day in the US. A patriotic, celebratory, but thoughtful time.
When I was a kid, I got the impression that our country was created in the late 18th century and has been running on automatic ever since.
Boy, was I wrong!
THIS WEEK I had the opportunity to attend a presentation hosted by the just-now-forming Conscious Capitalism Colorado Chapter. The speaker was Martin Bjergegaard, co-author of the new book Winning Without Losing.
What a great and inspiring hour! I immediately bought the book.
Martin’s message is the same as how he’s built his businesses: By focusing on quality of life, quality of leadership, and leveraging his considerable passion.
ONE OF FORT COLLINS’ claims to fame is 
Tim Farnsworth, the M&E Painting sign dancer guy. He’s been working for the company for six years now and is an energetic asset to the community.
He cares deeply about his job. He’s an expert and puts his whole heart into what he does.
Let’s contrast this to, oh, the other twenty sign flippers around town. They stand there. Maybe they wave their sign around a little. It a fit of inspiration, they might even turn it around for ten minutes.
You get the impression that it’s just a job, a way to make a few bucks before moving onto something which will pay 50¢ more.
THERE SEEMS TO BE 
a strong trend of optimism growing right now – so much that it’s even showing up on the news.
I’m greatly encouraged by the trend.
When I lost my job and launched out into business coaching full time, I had to make a conscious choice to nurture confidence and optimism. I had to look to the future and leave the past behind.
It wasn’t easy: This was 2009 Read the rest of this entry »
MY FATHER DIED in 1994 after a six month battle with cancer. It wasn’t an easy time, but the help given us by Hospice was a godsend. It made all the difference in the world, and saved our relationships.
I had the opportunity this week to speak with Deanna Cochran, founder of Quality of Life Care in Austin, Texas. Her specialty is as an End of Life Doula, a field I’d never heard of before.
NOBODY 
CAN SUCCEED by themselves. Well, at least not with any significant venture that we’re talking about in the business world.
There are several ways to get support from others:
- Force them
- Buy it from them (with money or goods)
- Inspire them
- Use the inspiration they already have
I hope you see why these methods become more powerful as you go down the list.
I‘VE 
COME TO REALIZE just how much I rely on others for my business success.
It’s not that I’ve structured things in a particularly complex manner: I’m a part of a small group of coaches operating under a single brand. I’m responsible for finding my own clients and delivering services to them.
That group is vitally important to my focus and motivation. Read the rest of this entry »
The Values-Based Business 