What are the mechanics of accountability? Accountability requires what I call a “moment of accounting”. A moment of accounting can be a quarterly review, a sidebar conversation, a discussion with a peer, a salary negotiation, a status report, the presentation you are giving, or even a simple response to a question. It’s healthy to have … Read more
I have a favorite saying: Version One is always better than Version None. This is particularly true in a fast-paced, high-growth company environment. The idea is to get something out there into the value stream. Sometimes this is called a MVP – Minimum Viable Product. But be careful to not misinterpret this principle as an … Read more
Care can warp time. Recently, I met an incredible man who had been the CEO of seven different public companies. The thing that struck me the most is how much he cared about people. I thought to myself, ‘where does he ever find time?’ He repeatedly told stories of people reaching out to him and … Read more
Are you a good listener? Effective leaders are known for their ability to be great listeners. I’ve learned over the years that without following these principles, one can look like a good listener (diligently going through the motions), but at its core you’re not really getting it, and instead waiting for other the person to … Read more
You lose your cool, you lose your case… every time. When I was young attorney I was asked by one of my law firm partners to argue a motion in federal court. I was excited to deepen my experience in federal court and it made me feel valued that one of the senior partners trusted … Read more
Every Monday I get 2-Minute Monday Motivators emails from a motivational business coach named Rick Houcek. These motivational notes are terrific and I encourage everyone to signup for the emails. The one I received today focused on hitting deadlines and was packed with some good thoughts on the topic. As leaders, you should be building … Read more
My friend Ramon Ray is a consummate technologist. He is creative, enthusiastic, passionate about leveraging technology to help small businesses succeed and a true geek at heart. Ramon sent me quick note explaining that he had been asked to speak to high school juniors about careers in technology – engineering and computers and sharing from … Read more