New Year’s Wisdom from Dolly Parton

“Find out who you are and do it on purpose.” Dolly Parton Years ago, I heard a radio interview with Dolly Parton that made a big impression on me. Among other things, she spoke about what it means to have a “real life" Dolly described at length her impoverished upbringing...

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Enter The Danger

Quite a few years ago I approached the mouth of an active volcano which was spewing lava. As Winston Churchill said, “You must put your head into the lion’s mouth if the performance is to be a success.”  A lesson for both life and business… I visited Hawaii when their...

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Keep It Simple

“Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery I read these wise words and immediately thought of Gino Wickman. Wickman is the developer of EOS---Entrepreneurial Operating System. Over the ten years since I first met...

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Indispensable Or Destructive?

“Mark is a big problem. He’s surly and nasty, violates all our company values, and ignores what we tell him. The other employees avoid him as much as they can. But…he’s the best designer we ever had so we put up with him.” While reading this, you probably flashed on...

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Lower the Volume

An insidious thing happens when you become a leader. People listen to you. Everything you say will be heard at ten times the volume. Every little thing you offhandedly mention will be amplified and taken as an order from on high and acted on. After all, it came from our...

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Building New Paths

Let’s say you are walking to a new office location or following a new trail through the woods. The first time around, the route feels new and fresh, you may even feel out of sorts.  But the more you walk the path, the clearer it becomes.  Before too long...

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Big Muse

“Are you afraid of your dreams?” So begins Peter Himmelman’s book Let Me Out. He’s not talking about your nightmares. He’s referring to all the good things you dream about; your hopes and aspirations. The dreams and ideas that bring a smile to your face when you picture yourself...

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You Are The Problem

“I need help.” While taking my regular 4 or 5 mile walk the other day, I found myself contemplating the reasons people who own and/or lead companies reach out to me for help. I thought about recent new clients as well as those who just wanted an hour or two...

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