In the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the character Gollum is entranced by the One Ring of gold. His attention is so consumed by what he calls “My Precious” that he is unable to comprehend how the world is changing around him, the consequences of his actions, or their implications for the future. His focus… Read more »
Alaska had a really bad fire season last summer. The flames decimated 2.5M acres. When fall came, snow fell and the fires disappeared. As spring arrived, smoke and steam could be seen rising out of the earth. The snows of an Alaskan winter had merely concealed the fire, not extinguished it. The roots of the… Read more »
Imagine for a moment that you been taken on a journey and transported to an unfamiliar place. I use the terms taken and unfamiliar because the voyage was not optional, and the place, while similar to the one you left behind, feels both uncomfortable and foreign. The culture and methods of engagement are different. The… Read more »
Technology is no longer a competitive differentiator, leadership is, entrepreneurial leadership to be precise. Given the continual impact that technology has on our lives and the promise of advancements that lay just over the horizon, this may appear a provocative statement. But at the end of the day, technology is still simply a tool and… Read more »
Reflecting on July 4th: Are we declining our independence? Being independent can be defined as not being influenced or controlled by others in matters of opinion or conduct. Stated another way, being independent is thinking or acting for oneself. But if thinking for oneself is the acid test of independence, it is fair to ask:… Read more »
How many times have you heard the phrase, ‘don’t fix it when it isn’t broken’? In other words, maintain the status quo until change is the only option. However, drawing upon my life experiences, I am making a case for the opposite – fix it while it isn’t broken. As we grow through life experiences,… Read more »
Close your eyes and think back to high school. Do you remember how you felt as you were approaching graduation? If you are like many, you had a sense of accomplishment and excitement. You were almost done after 12 long years and your imagination began to celebrate the reward of independence and freedom that lay… Read more »
All things being equal, people will do business with and refer business to those people whom they know, like, and trust. If you’ve been in business for any length of time you’ve probably heard this saying before. And if you’ve been in business for any length of time, you also know that it’s true. As… Read more »
Employee Engagement Those words get thrown around like candy at a parade…but I wonder if people really know what they mean. I refer to employee engagement as the “give a darn factor” and have, for nearly my entire career, been paying attention to those employees who do and who do not give a darn. I have noticed… Read more »