A few years ago, Gail, my daughter Marissa, and I spent three weeks in Italy. It was our first visit. I had high expectations, but I still wasn’t prepared for the warmth of the people or the richness and variety of wine and food. I felt like every day was a new and even better […]

I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts when the host  confessed he hadn’t taken a vacation in over a year. Admitting that he was on the edge of burnout, he said, “This has to change.” I immediately thought, Why hasn’t it changed before now? How do you let yourself get into this kind […]

Recently, I decided to grow a beard. I had one for a few weeks in my early 30s, but shaved it because it was too prickly and uneven. I decided to give it another go while on vacation a month ago. Just for the fun of it, I posted a selfie on Instagram and asked […]

James Clear, author of Atomic Habits,  recently tweeted, “Most people need consistency more than they need intensity.” In my experience, especially as a business coach, that’s true. Last year, for example, one of my clients experienced a significant revenue shortfall. It had a dramatic, negative impact on his cash flow and almost destroyed his business. […]

Last year, my business revenue grew 62 percent. That’s the good news. The bad news is that it presents a whole new set of problems—problems I didn’t face last year. This is where many entrepreneurs and business leaders get stuck. Let me explain. The key to rapid growth is innovation. You develop a new product […]

Over the years, I have noticed that there are two kinds of thinking. One kind leads to success, joy, and fulfillment. The other leads to failure, fear, and discontent. Which type are you?

Charisma may be useful in attracting a following, but it is largely useless when it comes to achieving a long-term, positive impact on the people and organizations we lead. For this, we need character. In helping people build their platforms, I frequently meet people whose public image is better developed than their personal character. They […]

She said, “no,” and then I shared them with her. [smartads] I have always taken these for granted, but realized this was a brand new thought for Gail. … As a leader, whenever you delegate a task, you need to make it clear what level of authority you are conferring: Level 1: Do exactly what I have asked you to do.

General McClellan had significant character flaws that I believe serve as a warning signs to anyone in leadership. Ultimately, these cost him dearly: He lost Lincoln’s confidence, his job, and a run for the White House (against Lincoln). Worse, they prolonged the Civil War and cost the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides of the conflict.

What are the baseline qualities you look for in anyone you add to your team. I suggest that the ideal candidate has four.