Don’t Be Afraid to Show Your Shortcomings

We all have insecurities. Things that we believe make us look bad or weak. Convinced that they’ll hold us back if exposed, we often go to great lengths to try to hide them. Rarely do we consider the opportunity we miss as a result. With the right perspective, our shortcomings aren’t liabilities – they’re assets […]

It Really Is Whether You Win or Lose

The old expression “it’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game” is flat out wrong. Winning matters. It matters for an obvious reason – because you achieve something important. But it matters for a much bigger reason also. It drives growth – personal, professional, revenue, you name it […]

Sustainable Innovation = Smart Risk-Taking Culture

Successful sustainable innovation has three components – innovation process, innovation management, and innovation culture. If you forced me to pick only one to foster innovation, I’d choose innovation culture because it’s the only one for driving innovation capacity. The other two are critically important, but they’re enablers, not drivers.[…]

When You Don’t Say What Needs to Be Said

Most of us are adept at hiding our thoughts and feelings. We’re often so skilled at it that we don’t even realize we’re doing it. A thought can cross our mind – be deemed unwise to share – and get squashed in a split second. We just notice something feels off. Over time, our self-censorship takes a toll, draining our energy slowly but continually.[…]

Perfectionism is the Enemy of Creation

The precursors to success are never perfection. Rather they’re mistakes, missteps, & bad ideas – the only way into the game. For some reason though, no matter how many times we learn this lesson, it’s easy to forget. We just want to nail it on the first try. But meaningful accomplishments never work that way […]

To Succeed, Put Your Back Against the Wall

It’s amazing what you can do when failure isn’t an option. You get creative and find a way to succeed. While no one likes their back against the wall, the truth is that it’s good for you every now and then. It blocks your escape routes and forces you to make uncomfortable decisions you might otherwise avoid […]

Don’t Leave Your Organization Uninspired

People are motivated by a fight. I’m not talking about violence and destruction, but a constructive fight that brings about something good. Every organization holds a tremendous possibility for the clients/constituents it serves. And every organization also faces challenges and struggles to get there. Sell the possibility of getting there […]