The Lesson of the Moth
This poem was written by Don Marquis, from the perspective of a fictional cockroach named Archy. Archy was a free verse poet in another life, and takes to writing on an old typewriter in an office building after everyone else has left. Being a cockroach, he can only...
Leaders Make Mistakes
Go ahead, make a mistake. I dare you! I double dog dare you! Forget that--I triple dog dare you!!! Maybe I should explain. I'm not talking about intentional mistakes made on purpose to cause harm or sabotage, I'm talking about real mistakes. Mistakes you make when you...
CVS: Conditional Values Syndrome
Are your values real, or are your values based on circumstances and the response you get? This is what I mean: Years ago, when I was in New York City, I was walking through the lobby of a high-rise. As I approached the door to leave, I could tell there was someone...
What is Your Greatest Fear in Leadership?
That fear could be the very window to your success. A perfect example would be my fear of public speaking. The truth of the matter is I, like most human beings (statistically speaking), feared public speaking more than death. When I signed up to study business and...
Leaders Are Not The Smartest People in the Room
Sorry leaders. Leaders lead, leaders inspire, leaders do an amazing number of things, but let's be honest: they cannot do everything. In fact, if they try to do everything, they aren't really leading. They're just making every decision and delegating work. Where's...
My Interview on AMNorthwest!
This week I had a wonderful time as the guest star of KATU's morning show, AMNorthwest, where I spoke about overcoming the fear of job loss. Click here or on the photo below to check it out! After more than 30 years, Steven Fulmer has honed his skills in public...
Are You Solving The Wrong Problem?
What is the most important question you need to answer about your business, life, success, etc.? More importantly: Are you sure you're asking it? Case in point--I recently asked this at a meeting with a prospective client. "Oh, I can answer that," he said. "It was a...
If You Want To Raise Your Prices, Tell A Better Story!
Much ado is written about the 'art of the story' as it relates to your Brand, Market Share and Price/Value. This week, Ty Montague profiled Rob Walker in his HBR blog and seemingly moments later the story line showed up on Inc. Our story matters. It's what gives a...
Letting Go and Moving Forward
Andre Gide said “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of familiar shores.” What I love about this quote is that it's got an inherent built-in conflict. Oh sure, it's easy to let go of familiar shores when they're undesirable,...
Nelson Mandela and The Language of Leaders
In honor of Nelson Mandela, I wanted to honor one of my favorite quotes of his. He said, "If you speak to a man in a language he understands, you speak to his head. If you speak to him in his language, you speak to his heart." We all use words--that's true enough. We...
