Sometimes a decision has to be made That is right for the short term In time you can change the decision So it is right for the long term - From a guy with the power
When eating cookies is part of your job It’s difficult to not enjoy working - Said the overweight, happy baker
If you are going to go to lunch with someone everyday Make sure you are not their boss - Someone who still has a soul
I have come to enjoy bringing awareness of a task to be accomplished – and allowing others to find the solution – even though I could accomplish it faster myself - Someone who took a long time to let go
When asking for a raise or promotion It is better to ask what I can do for the company Than it is to ask what the company can do for you For what you have already done (And been compensated for) - The owner
I’ve seen people build their own jail cell out of success. - A guy that golfs too much
Isn’t telling a young person to start his or her own business Like putting them into the pilot seat of a 747 at 30,000 feet And telling them to land the plane? - A passenger with no fear of flying
A doormat gets stepped on But it can still sleep at night - Customer service rep that does the right thing
Playground monitors Have created more damage to negotiation skills Than we will ever know - A student trying to argue with a university administrator
It’s hard to concentrate on past due accounts payable While riding the merry-go-round with your three-year-old daughter - Anonymous
Warriors Have a vested interest In conflict - Said the toilet cleaner who thinks all the world is shit
Have you ever waited in line For a long, long time And when it is your turn The clerk answers the phone Then proceeds to handle the random caller’s issue before yours? And if that is not bad enough You come to find out that the person calling Is the person in line behind you Using her cell phone - Gut in jail for shooting both of them
If you are going to invest in others Make sure they are invested as well. - Guy who sold his business and hung around
Sometimes If you cry during your compensation meeting You’ll make more money. - A women with an irritation in her eye at the right time
One of the keys to success Is finding a healthy balance Of doubt and reckless abandonment. - Someone who made it to the top of Everest
Sometimes you’re on the top of a mountain Battling a raging storm And you come to find out it is not a mountain But a volcano And the volcano is about to erupt. - Any entrepreneur
“Is your levee ready?” (copyright 2005) - tag line for insurance companies and business catastrophe planning companies
Once had a consultant that needed to be reminded to GTTFP…Get To The Fucking Point - Guy paying the bills
It is kind of amazing how much leadership is making others aware of their behavior in order to help them grow. - Someone with a mentor
Pace is important If one person is sprinting And everyone else is jogging There will be issues - Guy at the bottom of a pile
If you do not enjoy roller coasters It is probably best you do not become an entrepreneur - Guy with his hands raised high, saying "Wheee!"
It’s always tough to figure out when the training wheels can come off - Someone with skinned knees
Shared resources have been the cause of many wars Allocating resources is work of the Devil - A congressperson
A driver works in the car A mechanic works on the car An entrepreneur must be a driver and a mechanic Sometimes at the same time - Someone who has figured out how to avoid the distracted driver law, while distracted
If you do not understand Keep asking questions Even if you need to find the answers yourself - George Einstein (albert's long lost cousin)
A product is not a business You must have customers You must be able to communicate to customers and potential customers You must know your customers You must have a distribution channel or better yet channels You must decide what biz you are in - Gu who has talked to lots of people with an idea
Board of Advisors Create a board of advisors And you may want to even think about taking their advice Board of advisors – hear about the world outside your little cell. If you create a board of advisors – do not fill with people that will kiss your ass But also do not fill with assholes. Bring your board of advisors specific issues that you need to see from many sides. Better to ask “how would you handle this particular issue?” than to ask “how can I be happy and successful and know the meaning of life?” BOA (Board Of Advisors) – Be Open And be attentive – Be Open And be adaptive – Be Open And be aware – Be Open And take action… Meet with your board of advisors at a neutral, interruption free and comfortable space. Prepare your board prior to the meeting. Feed them after to keep the conversations going. Let your board discuss between themselves and pay attention to all that is said. Play the role you need to play for each situation - Moderator - Storyteller - Explorer - Artist - Not judge or warrior during the meetings (but definitely after) Pay it forward – trust me you will have plenty of opportunities; especially if you get some good advice.
The more money you have The easier it is To take the easy way out When you are low on cash You have to be loaded with “clever” - Someone who watched successful Silicon Valley investors throw away their money paying $1,000 to quick ship $50 worth of product
Passing on tribal knowledge is much more difficult than you think I am sure it has been the demise of many an acquisition or succession - Geronimo
Measure results Not tasks - Someone at EDGE meeting
There are some people who are great players There are some people that are great coaches There are a few people that are great player/coaches Able to see the big picture better if they are in the details Not sure if I am in the great category But definitely a very good player/coach I need to be in the game to lead
Abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz Provide these letters to your salesforce and ask them to sell as many words as they can One of them will ask for more letters! - An operations guy
When you get to the top of a mountain, and all you know is how to climb what do you do with your time at the top? - something i imagine Michael Jordan would ask
Sometimes selling the biz you created And staying on to lead it Is like driving a car built from scratch. Winning the race Then deciding to sell the car With an agreement that you still drive But the new owner gets to sit in the back and second guess when he feels like it. It’s just not the same! - Choose well who you want in the back seat
Once we bought a smaller company That had a dissimilar business model It was like a toy car inside a real car Try as it might The toy car always goes in the direction of the real car
What is the difference Between a business person And an entrepreneur An entrepreneur does not take “it can't be done” for an answer
Can you really let go And care about your employees As people and not assets?
If everything is urgent Then nothing is important If nothing is urgent Then nothing is important
When learning to ride a bicycle Having training wheels and a parent Allows you to make mistakes and learn And eventually create the ability to ride. In starting a business Working capital plays the same role.
Can you have too much empathy? I'd say yes, When you don't push others to take on a challenge and instead, solve it for them.
Comes a time at work when you have to realize, That you have the power. The power to make change, or take on a project/dept, as your baby. Not looking for others to lead, but lead it yourself. Willing to accept the responsibility of success or failure, With no one to blame.
Creating culture, Using a paint by numbers format, Is definitely not as effective, As painting creatively with oils and acrylics, Or even watercolors.
Applying theory, To an actual situation, is an important skill and ability for leading an organization.
When making a tough decision, Sometimes the best test is Will you be able to sleep at night.
Leadership - "it" - persistence, attitude, positivity.
Executing. You can have an idea. You can have a plan. But no one finds the treasure with just a map. You have to venture out. You have to persist. You have to dig. You have to get dirty. You have to know how to bring others along. You have to be imaginative. You have to be focused. You have to be a bulldog. You have to try experiments and fail. Keep going. You have to believe. You can't blame others. You have to weather the storm. Be water around obstacles. You have to learn and practice. You can't get a good dancer just by listening to the music.
Sometimes in business, You have to focus on not losing, Before you can focus on winning.
Think about what, then how. "Hey, what are you doing with that hammer?" "I'm going to break the window so I can get in my car." "What do you need from your car?" "My keys are locked inside and I need my wallet that's in the glove compartment." "So you need money? I can lend you some and then we can call AAA."
When starting to solve a problem. I find understanding the current situation, Is most effective.
There are times you need a sense of urgency. Sometimes the best way to create a sense of urgency, Is to just create a sense of urgency. (Advice to someone trying to close a deal. Force a deadline.)
So often people talk about vision, But really, just describe their past.