“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” ~ Winston Churchill Yes, I know Mom doesn't look 94. (Full Disclosure: This picture was taken when she was 92. 😛 ) Why...
Read More
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
This year is likely to be a trying time for many of our friends and colleagues as well as ourselves. Let's vow to act urgently when someone calls on us for aid, be positive about the those things we can...
Read More
Leadership Insight | What are we doing to help you?
“There is nothing more exhilarating than to be shot at without result.”~ Winston ChurchillWhy do you have your own business?Winston Churchill could have been an entrepreneur to have so eloquently dramatized the thrill associated with building a business.Whether you own it...
Read More
Leadership Insight | Building Consensus does not Build Success
Building Consensus ≠ Building SuccessI have been working with a young CEO who recently acceded to her company’s leadership.She was the successor to a more authoritarian regime and found herself working overtime to establish a more collaborative and less hierarchical environment.She...
Read More
Vision without action is daydream. Action without vision is nightmare.
~ Japanese proverb
Read More
Leadership Insight | First rule of a mistake: Admit it
“A lie will easily get you out of a scrape, and yet,strangely and beautifully, rapture possesses youwhen you have taken the scrape and left out the lie.”~ Charles Edward Montague Everyone makes mistakes. We know this for a fact, don’t we? It’s pretty...
Read More
Leadership | The 7 Attributes of World Class Organizations
What can you accomplish in a flash of time?It lasts about 300 to 400 milliseconds. It occurs about 10 to 20 times per minute.Over the course of a day, excluding about 8 hours of sleep, it amounts to about an...
Read More
Leadership Insight | Don’t Gamble with the Storm Clouds
Fly to the Light!Just after obtaining his pilot’s license, a dear friend from the Midwest found himself surrounded by unexpected thunderstorms. He clambered for every streak of sunshine he could find, ultimately zigzagging his way to a safe landing:“That principle...
Read More
Leadership | Flying blind? Assume Crash Position!
Do You Need to Start Your Own Bonfire? Barely 500 years ago, Girolamo Savonarola was an outspoken and strident critic of the current order, angrily vilifying the worldly possessions that tempted people to become sinners. He was ultimately excommunicated from...
Read More
Leadership Lessons | Does Mom think you should be a snitch?
"God grant that men of principle shall be our principal men.” – Thomas Jefferson Does Mom think you should be a snitch? Some of you may be familiar with the famed but controversial West Point Cadet Honor Code: “A cadet will...
Read More
Leadership | Can we really trust you to fake authenticity?
If you're not authentic, who are you? What a surprise! Years ago I was traveling regularly to Asia, and wanted to buy my wife a Cartier tank watch, a style that was very popular at the time. I visited a...
Read More
Leadership | How many distractions are YOU creating?
How many distractions do you own? Does it seem like we’ve talked about distractions a lot in the past? Maybe it’s just the ones in my head that makes me think so … which of course, is a distraction itself....
Read More
Leadership | Why I changed the Exkalibur Facebook page to “Building a Business”
The Exkalibur Facebook page is now "Building a Business"For years, I have used Facebook simply to replicate the articles I've published on Sword Tips, the Exkalibur blog.I rarely provided anything else on the Facebook platform to help you and other business...
Read More
Leadership | Your mom is watching: Is your moral compass malfunctioning?
You grabbed the last piece of cake before your sister could get it. The principal called and said your daughter broke another girl’s toy because she got to it first. Your son pushed a boy on the playground because that...
Read More
Leadership | There’s a simple one-word formula to avoid an ass-whuppin’
PREPARE to Win ... or get ready to get your butt kicked! Many moons ago when my daughter was 3 years old, she really wanted a Barbie dollhouse for Christmas.She never played with Barbie dolls … never liked them much either …...
Read More
Leadership | Innovation & Growth | Congratulations to 2 North Bay Leaders
This week, two North Bay organizations deserve a round of applause!Amy's Kitchen opens an on-site health care clinicFirst, congratulations to Amy's kitchen for its innovative approach to employee health care. They recently opened a primary health care clinic at their Santa...
Read More
Leadership | How to Keep Smart People from Killing Each Other
How to Keep Smart People from Killing Each Other This phrase is powerful in so many ways. Smart people can often be prima donnas – I've heard those accusations myself ... the first part, of course, not the second (and typically...
Read More
Leadership Obstacles: No execution? No results!
If the execution of a company’s plans is an avowed priority, critical to the success of both the CEO and the business, why aren’t CEOs spending enough time on it to make it successful? Why is it that every time...
Read More
Leadership Obstacles: There’s no one to blame … except yourself
Déjà vu all over again? How often have you heard that phrase banging against your skull … and how often was it telling you … “I’ve been here before” … “Didn’t we already solve this problem?” … “Why does this...
Read More
Leadership Lessons: Hope Springs Eternal … but it’s not enough!
For most of us, this is the time of the year when hope springs eternal.We’re revved up for an exciting new year, determined to change all of the things that didn’t work last year so we can pound the ball...
Read More
It’s not about stuff – it’s about them!
To tell the truth, I really just wanted to cry. That was my reaction as I scanned the dining room at the Assisted Living facility into which my 93-year-old mother just moved. Not because it isn’t a terrific facility. It’s...
Read More
Leadership Lessons | Delaying the tough call only makes it worse
What Does It Take to be a Great Leader? We're always sharing valuable and practical leadership tips and tools to help you BE a better leader so you can BECOME a better leader. Remember ... you won't BECOME a better...
Read More
Leadership | The past offers no forgiveness for today’s transgressions!
What's missing? Why do we keep wrestling with the same issues that we've examined and discussed throughout our careers? That's what makes it both fascinating ... and painful ... to be reminded about our timeless journey and our ongoing struggle to...
Read More
Lewis & Clark didn’t load the canoe with Mojitos!
What Does It Take to be a Great Leader? Every Tuesday, we're sharing valuable and practical leadership tips and tools to help you BE a better leader so you can BECOME a better leader. Remember ... you won't BECOME a...
Read More
Why are the biggest challenges the hardest to kill?
What Does It Take to be a Great Leader? Every Tuesday, we're sharing valuable and practical leadership tips and tools to help you BE a better leader so you can BECOME a better leader. Remember ... you won't BECOME a...
Read More
#100 – Building a Business: What have we learned in 4 years?
What Does It Take to be a Great Leader? Every Tuesday, we're sharing valuable and practical leadership tips and tools to help you BE a better leader so you can BECOME a better leader. Remember ... you won't BECOME a...
Read More