Should the owners of small to midsize businesses be worried about the

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Benjamin Franklin was a man of action. Over his lifetime, his curiosity

and passion fueled a diverse range of interests. He was a writer (often using a pseudonym), publisher, diplomat, inventor and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.  His inventions included the lightning rod, bifocals and the Franklin stove. Franklin was responsible...

CEOs face many watershed moments when the value of an established partner

, major account, product, supplier, bank, or employee is questionable.  IN my 35 years of coaching the CEOs of large and midsize businesses, I have witnessed a recurring and consistently costly hesitation to sever unproductive relationships—even when metrics and gut feelings...

Non linear thinking has been a lifelong compulsion beyond my capacity (

Mid-career graduate studies in the applied behavioral sciences taught me to appreciate and more effectively work with disciplined thinkers.  Paradoxical thinking—as opposed to selling or defending personal positions from either end of the vision:production continuum, helps holistic and linear thinkers meld their gifts and achieve synergistic...

We would not be here as a species if learning and change had not taken

Imagine a group of Neanderthals, sitting around their fire in the cave, when ‘Karg’, the most free-thinking of the hunters, using whatever grunts and motions he had available, speaks to his fellows. ‘You know, guys, we got the mastodon today, but I wonder how we could kill them without losing so many of us in the process?!’...

Experts are giving more credence to genetics and the gender gap.  Professional

opinion has finally caught up to what rational human beings have known since Adam took it in the ribs.  There are significant differences between men and women. Job performance is influenced—for example, women test stronger in pattern recognition, men appear stronger...

CEOs can secure corporate viability during growth by picking up the baton

Like jazz groups, successful small companies create a dedicated following because a limited number of players are in tune with the founder’s vision. They know their strengths and limitations, cover for each other, become experts at shooting from the hip, changing direction on the fly, and multi-tasking—in short, they are capable and prepared to...

How you attempt to influence others counts – It counts in how you

You are influencing all the time. From interviewing a top candidate for a position that you’d like to fill or recommending a new course of action in a staff meeting to suggesting where you and a friend may go to lunch, life is a series of influencing opportunities. First, it’s important to distinguish ethical influencing from coercive behavior...

If you are willing to make a conscious effort to recruit and develop sales

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I remember experiencing bad hair days because a colleague  smacked his

Overreaction to insignificant events is usually about control issues and judging.  Humans spend an inordinate amount of time trying to get others to do as they do, believe as they believe, feel as they feel and even chew as they chew.  We focus on the faults of others because doing so is less painful than dealing with our own shortcomings.  “...