Jim Collins is one of the most accomplished business researchers and writers in the world. He wrote “Built to Last” with Jerry Porras (on the best seller list for 6 years), followed up by “Good to Great” (sold over 2.5 million hard cover copies) but “Great By Choice” might be his best work ever because …
Category: Content Marketing
A Psalm of Life
Like almost everyone, I’ve been following the horrifying events in Paris. The battle cries for revenge, war, and justice have already sounded and will continue. Those thoughts are natural, necessary and satisfying on some level, but I keep thinking about a favorite Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem on life. In “A Psalm of Life,” Longfellow celebrates …
The 10 commandments of solving problems
Issues and problems pop up daily and there are a thousand ways to solve each one. Being stuck and being perfect are the enemies of progress and problem-solving, but how do you guard against those man-made traps? Gino Wickman is the designer of EOS®, the Entrepreneurial Operating System, which is a set of simple business-building …
How to have difficult conversations
Joseph Grenny is a four-time New York Times bestselling author and leading social scientist for business performance. One of his most popular books is “Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High.” So what’s a crucial conversation? Grenny defines it as a moment when opinions differ, the stakes are high, and emotions are strong. In his 25 years of studying …
Use power words to get powerful results from your writing
Whether you’re writing ads, articles, or emails, simple word selection can make a big difference in driving results versus being ignored. You’ve got to be sure to use power words in your writing if you want people to notice and do something. Attractive art like photos and illustration can grab attention, but experienced communicators know that …
Destined to succeed, or determined to succeed?
Harvey Mackay’s most famous and memorably titled book is “Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive.” He’s written and published another half dozen books, and his weekly columns have been widely distributed for the last 30 years. Mackay’s day job was selling envelopes. Not a terribly complicated or thrilling business, but he was determined …
Helping 100,000 people is a good start
Dr. Don Berwick is a pediatrician and a true hero of modern healthcare improvement. Author and management expert Tom Peters calls him the “Mother Teresa of health safety.” Berwick is one of the founders of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and is the architect of its groundbreaking 100,000 Lives Campaign. In December 2004, he brazenly …
10 rules for brilliant women
The internationally-acclaimed COO of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg, may be the best-known champion of women executives in the world, but author and women’s business coach Tara Mohr is making significant contributions to the cause as well. Mohr’s book “Playing Big: Find Your Voice, Your Mission, and Your Message” is about the tools she’s used with thousands …
What makes A-players stand out
Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman focus on “elevating leadership strengths” in their practice at Zenger Folkman. They study and work with leaders at companies around the world. A recent article they authored for the Harvard Business Review highlighted their research on 4,100 executives and their findings from analyzing over 50,000 performance reviews conducted on this …
Telling the kind truth
If you’re involved in client service or consulting you probably think regularly about the most productive ways to deliver the best advice and service. Patrick Lencioni, in his book “Getting Naked” outlines three main fears that can threaten strong and lasting client relationships: fear of losing the business; fear of embarrassment; and fear of feeling inferior. To overcome these fears, …