As we draw closer to Thanksgiving, I like to take the time to reflect on the many reasons to be grateful for my life. This time around, I found myself thinking about my years in Corporate America and the many opportunities, though not always good, that have helped forge me into the man I am…
We’re a little bit excited about Halloween in my house. So, in honor of this upcoming “Fright Night” I wanted to dedicate this blog to talking about something we all fear, [perceived] boogie men bosses and the tall tales they inspire their employees to weave. Once upon a bright and sunny morning, after months of…
Once upon a time, in the near, near land of reality, I had a client named Brandon. He was motivated, intelligent, and wholly committed to the success of his company. But he had poor time management skills and was even worse at establishing personal and professional separation boundaries in his life. This made Brandon a…
“The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual.” “People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society.” “Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a…
Steve Prefontaine once remarked, “Something inside of me just said ‘Hey, wait a minute, I want to beat him,’ and I just took off.” This quote of his captures an important lesson for those of us in a competitive business: to win, we have to want to win. When we desire to win and recognize…
Sometimes there can be a fine line between confidence and arrogance, but you’ve really got to know the difference and know how to communicate the former without expressing the latter. One for Drew Brees quote for you this week: “I’m a very modest person. But I’m also extremely confident. And if you put me in…
A big part of leading a team is putting your team members in the positions that are best for everyone. You consider each person’s attributes and skills and you go from there. Take it from Drew Brees: “My No. 1 priority, and it always has been this, is keeping our team together and making sure…
An important lesson for any sales professional is to be coachable. If you refuse to follow the coach’s leadership, then you can’t function as the member of a team, the team can’t function, and no one can win long term. Take it from Peyton Manning: “The head coach tells us what to do, and we…
Zig Zigler said the following: “You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.” How true. It’s not enough to have the attributes that point you in the direction of success. It’s not even enough to have the talents and skills that…
Too many sales leaders put together a plan for their team only to leave it collecting dust on some shelf or cabinet. Margaret Thatcher knew better than this. She said: “Plan your work for today and every day, then work your plan.” I like to say that if your plan doesn’t have coffee stains on…