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 […]
One Person No Leader Can Afford to Exclude
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 […]
Why You’re Unhealthy, Stuck, and Miserable
One Trick Anyone Can Use to Improve Their Circumstances Starting Today
I hear from people all the time who feel stuck in bad jobs, bad habits, and bad relationships. And when it comes down to it, I have one single piece of advice. It’s pretty simple, actually. Ready? Here it goes: Stop thinking about it. No, I don’t mean live in denial. What I do mean […]
How To Lead Even When You’re Scared
And Why Great Leaders Learn to Embrace Their Fear
We’ve all felt it. Right before you try a new idea for the first time, there’s always that moment of panic. Is this really going to work? Is it too late to back out? I say “panic,” but let’s call it what it is: self-doubt. Deep down, whenever you put yourself out there, you secretly […]