5 Keys to Setting the Tone as a New Leader
Whether you’re a first-time leader or an experienced manager in a new role, the first 100 days are critical. People are watching you closely…
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Building a StoryBrand Book is Released
If you follow this blog, you know I am a huge Donald Miller fan. A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: How I Learned…
This Start-Up Story is a Must Read for Every Entrepreneur
Forget all the phony internet garbage about how glorious the life of an entrepreneur is. Ignore the Instagram pictures of Ferraris and private jets…
Putting Employees Ahead of Customers
Do you want to be a better leader? Sign up for my free newsletter. The best leaders put customers first, right? Not if you…
Can a Japanese Manufacturing Technique be the Secret to Self-Improvement?
Americans are terrible at sticking to goals. Just go to any gym in January and look at the crowded parking lot. The same gym…
3 Reasons Why Punctuality Will Help your Career
Do you want to be a better leader? Sign up for my free newsletter. I’ve always been on time and I think it started with…
Getting Comfortable with Making Mistakes
Many people put off the dream of starting their own business because they are afraid to fail. The truth is, about half of all…
10 Steps to Survive and Thrive in Your First Leadership Job
I had all the wisdom of a 23-year-old and all the experience of a junior officer who spent the past year in Naval…
Great Leaders Aren’t Afraid to Love Their Teams
One frustrating thing I see in leaders from time to time is a negative attitude towards people. Many choose a career in leadership who…
Remembering 9/11: Lessons in Crisis Leadership
The world changed on September 11, 2001. And as a leader, I changed too. I was seven years out of the Navy and…
The Truth about Authenticity
While fake news is often hard to spot, phony advertising, inauthentic companies, and fake people aren’t. I was listening to my favorite podcast…
3 Reasons Why Leaders Need a No Whining Policy
When Pope Francis tells you to stop whining, you know there is power in the message. Since becoming the new pope, Francis has been…
To Bring Your Plans to Life, You Need a Dedicated Crew
“Officers and crew of the United States Gerald R. Ford, man our ship and bring her to life!” commanded Susan Ford Bales, daughter of…
Trust and Speed: Lessons from Percy Barnevik
How do you get a large, multinational company to move fast? You do what Percy Barnevik did at ABB in the late 80’s and…
Stop Expecting People to be Perfect
I have written many times that leadership is a people business. It’s about motivating and challenging people to accomplish big things. If you don’t…
Gathering of Six Active-Duty Marine Corps Four-Star Generals
At one time in history, the Marine Corps had six active-duty four-star generals. On April 19, 2013, they gathered at the home of the…
Get Up & Get Going!
“It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and wisdom.” Aristotle As I wrote about in The Secrets…
3 Reasons Why the Struggle is More Important than the Goal
I’m not a runner, but I ran six half-marathons once. Growing up in New England, it was always a dream to one day run…
Everyone Can Help Give Veterans a Fighting Chance
I remember the feeling I had stepping off the USS Tennessee for the last time. It was 1994, I was 26 years old, and…
Patton on Micromanagement
“Keep on advancing… whether we go over, under, or through the enemy,” General Patton told his troops, and they did. Under his leadership, the 3rd…
Belichick on Bringing your Team Back to Earth
Celebrating success and honoring achievement is an important aspect of leadership but, if you want to be successful over the long run, you can’t…
The Bleeding Edge: When Innovation Fails
In 2002, in the early days of Bluetooth, I toured the Bosch white goods factory in Germany. They presented to us their concept of…
The Discipline of Getting Things Done
I love being an entrepreneur. I love being my own boss. The freedom to operate my business the way I want to is everything…
None of the Above
Fair warning, this is not my typical article. It’s not about leadership, business, careers, culture, entrepreneurship, or the military. But it’s related. This…