You can’t make it on your own, and that’s not a putdown. It’s reality. And the bigger your goals, the more help you’re going to need in reaching them. In the corporate world, I relied heavily on my executive assistants. When I struck out on my own, I thought I could manage without one. Crazy. […]

Lona Collins is 107 years old. When a reporter asked what she does to stay young, she said gratitude. “Don’t go crabbin’,” she advised. Most of us know about the gratitude advantage. Research shows that expressing thanks leads to lower stress, better relationships, improved health, and more. But there’s one place we’re unlikely to express […]

I’ve been running for years now. It’s an essential part of my health and fitness—and even my business. But if you’re like me, there could be something missing from your workout routine. Almost two years ago I set some significant health-related goals, and I hired a personal trainer to help me reach them. He evaluated […]

Some gadgets come with batteries and some don’t. If I told you it’s the same with people, what kind would you like to work with: those with or without batteries? I picked up this metaphor from an episode of Dan Sullivan’s 10XTalk Podcast. Dan said he basically divides everyone into one of two categories: Those […]

I follow a lot of speakers, bloggers, and podcasters who swear on stage, on screen, and at the microphone. I’m no fan of profanity, but I’ll wade through it if there’s a payoff. I’ve made huge gains in my personal and professional life from people who could make sailors blush. But here’s the thing: I […]

When I think of key leadership qualities, decisiveness is always high on the list. The ability to quickly size up a situation and act is essential. But sometimes we can be too fast. And that’s especially true when it comes to criticism.

Our words can be powerful tools to accomplish our goals. But sometimes the things we say can sabotage our success. I have led, counseled, and mentored people for decades now. One thing I’ve noticed time and again is how much power our words possess. Whether we’re speaking, blogging, selling, or debating, we rely on our […]

We often look at successful people, hearing their stories of failure, and think they succeeded in spite of the fact that they failed. But that’s not true. Successful people and organizations don’t succeed despite failure. They succeed because of it.

When Martin Luther King Jr. accepted the ministerial call from Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, he was just twenty-five years old. That was 1954. What King accomplished over the next decade would radically reshape American society and provide an example and inspiration for us today. So what was his secret?

People often look at my success and assume I haven’t had any failures. Excuse me while I laugh. Have you seen my recent blooper reel? The truth is I have experienced plenty of failure. And many are a lot worse than a flubbed line. I just don’t usually publicize them.

If you paid me a dollar for every minute I’ve spent on a conference call in my life, I probably would never have to work again. But I like working—and that’s exactly why I don’t like conference calls. I know there are forms of business communication less efficient that conference calls, but I’m having trouble […]

Every year we hear news about people who suffer from holiday or seasonal blues. More than just hearing about them, a large number actually experience them. I certainly have. For some, it’s about relational rifts and resentments. For others, including me, it’s about diminishing daylight and getting less exercise—at least that has been the case […]

I love watching people succeed, especially if I can learn something I can apply in my own life and share with you. That’s why I’m excited about what I learned from watching Slack’s success this year. Slack is a communications tool that enables natural and effective team collaboration. The company, started by Stewart Butterfield, the […]

Many people who want to build an online business are reluctant to sell. They seem hesitant, almost apologetic, when it comes to promoting their own products. Why is that? I recently saw a Facebook promotion for a book that actually asked, “Anybody interested?” It’s almost like the author didn’t believe in his own message. Crazy […]

If there is one thing that defines our work experience today, it’s stress. It can be exhausting or exciting—often both. But if we’re not proactive, it can really ding our health. For several years I mentored a small group of young professionals. We met once a month and discussed our jobs, families, and personal lives. […]

All the major sports leagues celebrate their best players. But what if there were a Most Valuable Player award for your team? Would you take home the prize? When I was CEO of Thomas Nelson we established different awards for individuals, service groups, and profit centers. The winners received public recognition, banners, trophies, and prizes. […]

When we set goals, there’s nothing more frustrating than getting a slow start. We can see the target, we know where we want to go, but we can’t seem to get traction. That’s how I felt with our recent fall enrollment campaign for Platform University. We actually beat our goal in the end, but as […]

Michael and I have been friends for well over a decade. When we met, he was already a good leader. But over the years I’ve watched him grow and become an even better one. And one of the things I love about Michael is that whatever he’s learning, he’s continually passing along to you. If […]

If you look at the major news stories in business, politics, diplomacy, whatever, it’s pretty hard to miss that most of the crises we face are crises of leadership. I once worked for a man who couldn’t pull the trigger on a project, ever. I would bring him a request with all the supporting documentation. […]

Are you waiting for someone to give you permission to lead, grow, or move in your organization? What if you already have all the permission you need? I was recently invited to sit on a board and observed something there I’ve seen countless times in other settings. Some people around the table had no trouble […]

Whenever an organization rolls out a major change, clarity and alignment are essential. Without those two things all the best intentions amount to little more than heartburn and headaches. As a leader responsible for a large company, I have experienced the difficulty of getting clarity and creating alignment with my team. In one instance, we […]

Guest Post by Joel J. Miller: Whether it was riding express or printing money or casting cannons or even figuring out how to construct a gunpowder mill, Revere was tapped time and again because patriot higher-ups could count on him to get the job done, whatever it was and even if he’d never done it before, which oftentimes he had not.

I’ve worked with several executive assistants over the years, and I have found it is a make-or-break relationship when it comes to my success. Think about it: None of us can do it all on our own. We need to bring others into our work to help us succeed in it. And the bigger the […]

Recently, my wife bought me a Labradoodle puppy. I had wanted one ever since my daughter got hers. My grandson named him “Charlie Brown,” since his fur was a beautiful chocolate brown color. Though he was born in January, we didn’t get to meet Charlie until last week. He spent the first eleven weeks at […]