Falling Through Two-Way Doors – Empowering Employees to Embrace Risk

We live in a risk-adverse culture. I see this professionally and even at home with one of my young daughters. She’s talented in many areas, but she’s exceptionally hard on herself when she can’t accomplish something right away. In these situations, she becomes discouraged to the point she stops trying. For a child, FAIL is

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The Paradox of Expertise

Why did no one in the taxi industry create a phone app to improve the ride ordering process (Uber)? Why didn’t Sear’s dominate online sales (Amazon)?  Why didn’t the Big Three auto companies design the first really innovative electric car (Tesla)? Expertise and experience should be a competitive advantage when it comes to innovation. Yet, the

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10 Bad Habits to Eliminate from Your Daily Life

A recent Inc. article cited 10 common bad habits that endanger our health, hamper our productivity, and harm our relationships. Some habits identified are widely acknowledged “no-nos,” such as cigarette smoking and using electronic devices before bed. Other cited habits that I personally struggle with are keeping a cluttered desk and snacking out of stress

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Leadership Navigation: Resourcefulness vs. Process

I recently went on a long boat ride to the middle of nowhere. The ship was very well run. Because of the tight space, everything had a clear place. Everyone knew their jobs well. Whether pulling into port or fishing, the crew all knew what had to be done to run the process. They fixed

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Dealing with Enemies and Conflict

I recently read an article on how two Best Buy power players, the Founder and the new CEO, went from enemies to a unified front. The three main points on how the new CEO diffused the situation are as follows. Show humility This is the most common error I see.  People think “respect” is earned through

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Growing a Company Montessori-Style

I’ve been looking at schools for my two-and-a-half-year-old daughter and I was floored by the quality of education available today.  One school, Near North Montessori, really stood out from the rest. It’s fostering a science and culture of learning that is unbelievable.  The days I remember of mindless memorization and hours of sitting bored and

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Leadership vs. Management

Leadership and management are two very different things. Leadership “pulls” people. Management “pushes” people. Everyone knows traditional management.  Check on the team to make sure they are working.  Clock breaks and punch out time.  If people don’t comply, there are consequences.  In bad situations, it can be exhausting and draining for both the person being managed

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