Leadership
Business Mentoring: Why You Have to Say No
Time is finite. No matter whether you’re the boss or the low man on the totem pole, there are only a certain number of hours available to accomplish all the tasks that need to be done. In a world of infinite possibilities and finite time, you have to say no more than you say yes.…
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The Power of Experimental Innovators
Successful small business owners and entrepreneurs come in all different types. They can have a lot of different interests, backgrounds, and styles. I recently read Originals, the newest book by Adam Grant, professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. I’ve loved his past work, and he has more great insights and ideas…
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Business Mentoring: Budget Time for Your Most Valuable Position
Most entrepreneurs are pretty good at a lot of different things—and that’s the problem. Dave Crenshaw suggests that the best use of your time isn’t on things that you’re decent at, or that you can do, but rather it’s on doing what you do best, what you’re fantastic at. The thing you do best is…
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The Key to Being an Original
Innovation and creativity is the driver of American small business. We are always looking for ways to do things better. We want to create a better product, find a more efficient way to operate a business, discover new ways to reach people, and so on. We have to stand out from our competitors. We can’t…
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Midweek Reading: Family Businesses and Winter Efficiency
Family businesses must still follow all the traditional rules of business, but there are unique dynamics to a family business, including the impact on personal relationships, boundaries between roles, and communication. Popular wisdom holds that the winter months have a negative effect on our moods and cognition. New studies, however, suggest that performance is just…
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Business Mentoring: Avoid “Switching Costs”
Switching from one task to another costs small business owners significant amounts of time—as much as an entire workweek every month! Dave Crenshaw’s emphasis is on moving from chaos to focus to get the most out of your time and energy. Small business owners often have to play the equivalent of five positions at the…
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Business Mentoring: Bob Rich on Family and Relationships
The core of any business is culture and relationships, and no relationships are more important—or complicated—than family relationships. Bob Rich is the chairman of Rich Products, a family-owned business who first started working in the family business at age 9. A focus on culture and community has been a focal point for him his entire…
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Are You a Workaholic?
It’s Saturday afternoon and I’ve already spent more than 5 hours working on work—things that could have waited until Monday. So I started to think about it: about work, and its impact on me, my family, friends, hobbies, and time. After some self-reflection, I jotted-down a few questions that I’ll pose to you. Do you…
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Every Detail Matters
One of the things that has struck me throughout the years is the attention that the most successful people pay to every little detail. The best leaders aren’t content to oversee things from on high and trust that it gets done; they stay personally involved, and don’t miss a thing. I will never forget what…
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How to Lead: Learning from the Powerball
A few Wednesdays ago, a magical thing happened at exactly 10:59 p.m. Millions of Americans were glued to the TV as the Powerball Jackpot escalated to heights never seen before in the history of the Powerball. Billboards had to change the M to a B in order to even let people know where the jackpot…
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