We all dream of great things for our lives, don’t we? A fulfilling marriage, happy kids, a meaningful and profitable career. We all know people who have achieved those things, so we know it’s possible. And the truth is most of us have already experienced more success than we realize. But wherever we are, most […]
How to Maximize Your Conversations This Holiday Season
9 Questions You and Your Family Can Ask Around the Table
We are almost in the holiday season, and that means a lot of great things: fun memories, good food, and more. But it also means a few challenges. You know one of my big ones? Let’s visit the Honest Planet for a minute. It’s awkward conversations. You probably know what I mean. With all the […]
One Person No Leader Can Afford to Exclude
3 Reasons to Include The Spouses of Our Team Members
Last week I took my entire team on a Caribbean cruise to mark a major accomplishment. Celebrating success is something I really believe in. Family is also something I really believe in—and that’s why we included not only our employees and key contractors, but also their spouses on the trip. That meant accommodating more than […]
What Robert De Niro Taught Me About Leadership
10 Traits of Highly Effective Mentors
I’m always surprised by what I learn at the movies. I go to be entertained. But many times I walk out of the theater with insights I can put to work in my life. Over the weekend Gail and I saw the new Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway comedy, The Intern. It was great.
How to Maximize a Windfall
4 Ways to Profit from the Happy Accidents of Life
Sometimes the best things that happen to us come totally out of the blue. We don’t plan them, seek them, or try to make them happen. They just show up. So how do we make the most of these happy accidents? One of my team members was telling me about a biography of the essayist […]
Why Sometimes You Need to Fire Your Customers
What It’s Costing You to Serve Everyone as if There’s No Limit
If you’ve ever worked in retail—and even if you haven’t—you’ve probably heard the phrase, “the customer is always right.” But just because you’ve heard it doesn’t make it true. My daughter Megan enjoys the BBC show, Mr. Selfridge, about pioneering retailer Jeremy Selfridge. Supposedly, he was one of the people to popularize the phrase that […]