Purpose
Chef or Ingredients? How to Scale, Systematize, and Sustain Success
In a recent conversation with Ken Natori, President of The Natori Company, I gained a valuable insight. We were discussing growing and scaling a business when Ken shared an analogy. He said, “success can come from a chef or the ingredients.” The analogy is a helpful way to consider an entity’s success. Allow me to…
Read MoreInterview Your People
This past weekend, the calendar turned from 2021 to 2022. It’s a time to reflect on the past year and consider the opportunities yet to unfold. A collective ritual to learn about a wide range of happenings from the past year, including blockbuster movies and celebrity deaths. As 2021 closed, two such celebrity deaths captured…
Read MoreDam Good Leadership
I once read an article about beavers. Yes, the little furry animals. The article discussed a study in which beavers would build a dam simply when they heard the noise of running water. The researcher put a beaver in a room with nothing but sticks and a speaker. They played a recording of running water, and…
Read MoreThe Tragedy of Leadership
I once worked closely with Chris McChesney. Chris is the author of the #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller, The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals. Chris and I have remained connected over the years, and I have learned a great deal from him. He’s been a guest on my podcast and endorsed…
Read MoreHow to Make a Dent in the Universe
I bet I can make a few assumptions about you: You want your work to matter You want to make a difference You want those who work with you to be better because of your presence You want to get better along the way Essentially, you want to make a dent in the universe (or…
Read MoreLeading Through Trauma
I teach a class at Vanderbilt University called Leading Business Through Times of Crisis. This week we read a 2002 Harvard Business Review (HBR) article titled Leading Through Trauma. In the article, the authors argue that: “Although the human capacity to show compassion is universal, some organizations suppress it while others create an environment in which compassion is…
Read MoreWhat are you grateful for?
On Friday of last week, my book, The Five-Week Leadership Challenge: 35 Actions Steps to Become the Leader You Were Meant to Be, made the Wall Street Journal bestseller list. I am thrilled about the book’s performance and the impact it is having. I’m also extremely grateful to: My partners at HarperCollins Leadership for publishing the book…
Read MoreWhat’s in a Name?
This week, I interviewed Skot Waldron for our podcast. Skot helps companies communicate more effectively with their customers and employees to create alignment, consistency, and loyalty. In preparing for the interview, I read the backstory on the spelling of Skot’s name. Most would agree that S-K-O-T is more often spelled S-C-O-T-T. I talked to Skot…
Read MoreLessons From Launching a Book
Today’s newsletter is going to be a little different. For the past few days, I have been traveling from event to event, promoting my new book, The Five-Week Leadership Challenge. From the first day I proposed the book to Harper Collins, to writing my first draft, to now, I have learned a lot. I’d like…
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