- I Think You'd Like This
It's easy to blast out a recommendation or suggestion via social media. We tweet: "This place is awesome!" or share a photo of a well-designed latte and leave it at that.But real recommendation and endorsement is based on connection, not documentatio…
- 8 days ago, 17 May 13, 12:01am -
- Trigger Events
I'm working with some friends on a new business idea. We're spending this month testing the concept and researching. As we put together a business plan, we're listing out our trigger events, stuff like:When we sign on X customers, we'll then...After…
- 9 days ago, 16 May 13, 12:01am -
- What a 16-Year-Old Can Teach You About Work and Life
What Tavi Gevinson has done with her personal brand and the brand of her website/publishing empire is nothing short of astounding. Making her success even more remarkable is her age, accomplishing all this at just 16. In every interview I read about…
- 9 days ago, 15 May 13, 2:30pm -
- Leadership Busks
Walking through my own downtown Nashville on Monday, I encountered a handful of street performers. This is common in many big cities, but seems to be especially present here in Music City, U.S.A.I've never had a craft that lends itself to performing…
- 10 days ago, 15 May 13, 12:01am -
- Your Degree is not a Receipt
When you graduate, you're given the most elaborate piece of paper you'll ever touch, unless you're Nicolas Cage and you find the original Declaration of Independence.But, you're degree isn't merely some receipt that shows you purchased a college educ…
- 10 days ago, 14 May 13, 2:26pm -
- Make Today Different
Today - Tuesday - will be just like any other day. Unless you do something to make it different. Don't meet a friend for coffee; meet them for a walk in the park or a trip to the museum instead.Don't park yourself in front of your TV tonight for thre…
- 11 days ago, 14 May 13, 12:01am -
- Getting Slower
The default state of the world is speed. The quest to do things these days, whether it's flip a company, travel to an island, or make a bunch of widgets is the continual quest to do it all more quickly than someone else. "How long will it take?" seem…
- 11 days ago, 13 May 13, 2:24pm -
- Leadership Bakes
In this extended article about the sale of Instagram to Facebook, the author describes Instagram's early shift in product design that ultimately led to its popularity thusly:It was the sort of eureka moment that made perfect sense because the solutio…
- 12 days ago, 13 May 13, 12:01am -
- What Are You Aiming For?
If you aim at something (a target, the middle of the green, a basketball goal), you may just hit it.What's true in marksmanship is true for markets. No archer can hit every target at once; no company can reach every customer. Focus, then, helps you g…
- 13 days ago, 12 May 13, 12:01am -
- The Thing About Money
Making money is an indicator of success, not your reason for existing. If you live up to your reason for existing (what you love, what you're great at doing, how you can meet the needs of others), I bet you'll earn money, too.
- 14 days ago, 11 May 13, 12:01am -
- The Decision to Choose is Yours
This video is a brilliant reminder for any of us about the small choices we get to make on a daily basis.Choose wisely (and start by finding nine minutes this weekend to enjoy this).
- 14 days ago, 10 May 13, 10:49am -
- Blaming Ourselves
There are two articles you should carve out time to read this weekend:Paul Miller spent a year with no Internet (no email, so smartphone, nothing) and here is what he learnedThomas Friedman discusses the role of the Internet in the radicalization of…
- 15 days ago, 10 May 13, 12:01am -
- Leadership Walks
Welcome to the second episode of my newly revamped podcast! Today, I'm discussing why leadership walks.Our leadership must be active if we're to have an impact on others, but we also must make sure to travel at the appropriate pace. Too quickly and…
- 15 days ago, 9 May 13, 3:21pm -
- The High Art of Mentoring
Mentoring seems to be more art than science. Those who have had a mentor or been a mentor often have mixed experiences. Some relationships and arrangements are great; others didn't quite work out so well for either party. As such, I tend to stay away…
- 15 days ago, 9 May 13, 2:20pm -
- Holding Out Hope
I made a new friend this week. He's a commercial airline pilot and he recounted how he got the job.He had his first interview.Then he had a second interview. Six years later.While waiting six years for his callback interview, he kept flying. He kept…
- 16 days ago, 9 May 13, 12:01am -
- How to Stay Motivated at Work
Go read all of this post (and then watch the video) from TED. You'll find the seven things you need to keep in mind to stay motivated (and keep people motivated) at work.The seven things to remember are:Seeing the fruits of your laborIf we don't feel…
- 16 days ago, 8 May 13, 2:10pm -
- Leadership Sets the Agenda
Leadership that impacts the lives of others does so by setting the agenda. While unexpected events will need to be managed, leadership isn't reactionary. Leadership that is purely reactionary is crisis management.The reason leadership must set an age…
- 17 days ago, 8 May 13, 12:01am -
- Six Qualities of Successful Social Entrepreneurs
One of the most interesting parts of David Bornstein's How to Change the World is his description of successful social entrepreneurs, which he synthesizes into six core qualities. Which of these do you have?A willingness to self-correctA willingness…
- 17 days ago, 7 May 13, 2:19pm -
- When Rules Aren't Right
Most of the time, rules make sense (don't kill people, eat your vegetables, call your mother). But sometimes, they can get in the way of progress, in which case they need to go. This is true of legislation and accomplishment alike. While this isn't…
- 18 days ago, 7 May 13, 12:01am -
- New Podcast Title and Focus
Over the last month, I've had a chance to regroup and take an earnest look at my podcast. With 15 episodes under my belt, I took a month off to determine what I was doing well, what parts were best, and what the next steps should be.And now, I'm happ…
- 18 days ago, 6 May 13, 9:18am -
- Seek Difficulty
Following the path of least resistance is easy, but there's often no reward there. Seeking out the more difficult route is always worth it. (Thanks for the reminder, Seth Godin.)In fact, if you can't describe what's hard about your job, this leadersh…
- 19 days ago, 6 May 13, 12:01am -
- The Look
This poem by W. H. Auden captures the essence of the expert. Is there a skill, that when you do it, someone doesn't need to look at what you're doing but rather at the look in your eye, your attention to detail, and the passion in your commitment?You…
- 20 days ago, 5 May 13, 12:01am -
- That Thing You Do
As it turns out, if you want to be known for that thing you do, you don't have to do it all the time. The best poets, carpenters, leaders, and teachers are also wives, dog walkers, vacationers, and parishioners. There's more to life than what we do,…
- 21 days ago, 4 May 13, 12:01am -
- The Staying Power of Innovation
I found this gem of a statistic recently while reading David Bornstein's How to Change the World: In 2002, of the twenty largest service-providing nonprofit organizations in the United States (excluding governmental and religious groups), twelve had…
- 22 days ago, 3 May 13, 12:01am -
- Got a goal? Shut up about it.
I had a little trepidation announcing my new book project yesterday. With a public announcement comes public accountability (due to public expectation). Conventional thinking tells us that if a friend or stranger can hold us to a public goal, we'll b…
- 22 days ago, 2 May 13, 2:50pm -
- How to Be Found
A lot of us may say we want to be "found." Maybe we want our talent to be discovered or to run into the person of our dreams or just be known for who we are deep inside.The catch is that unless we're willing to be lost, we'll never be able to be foun…
- 23 days ago, 2 May 13, 12:01am -
- My Daughter, the Thief
My daughter ran to me when I entered the playground, happy to be going home after what was certainly a fun and carefree normal day of school. She handed me her "treasures" as she calls them, a usual assortment of leaves, mulch, and rocks that she fin…
- 23 days ago, 1 May 13, 2:00pm -
- Leadership Does
Now that I've been at this a year, it's time to do something with what I've learned. Knowledge, after all, is just trivia if it's not applied. So I'm writing a book. I'm taking the best of these Daily Doses, adding in some other ideas I've been mulli…
- 24 days ago, 1 May 13, 12:01am -
- My Responsibility to Encourage Female Leadership
As the father to a daughter, I found this video powerful and arresting:Of course, this reality isn't simply the fault of the media. It's also my responsibility as a parent to help my daughter navigate the media and her consumption of it. Moreover, if…
- 24 days ago, 30 Apr 13, 2:45pm -
- 525,600 Minutes
What could you learn in a year? Sadly, many of us will never know because a year seems like a very long time. Nevermind that it's probably just 1/80th of our life. Nevermind that the lessons that come in a year's time can last a lifetime. Nevermind…
- 25 days ago, 30 Apr 13, 12:01am -
- How to Change the World
I finally slogged through How to Change the World by David Bornstein. I say slogged because this book is weighty and its content is rich. Think of it like that super awesome piece of cheesecake. It's delicious, but if you're smart, you'll back up off…
- 25 days ago, 29 Apr 13, 2:05pm -
- When Small is Big
I had dinner with an entrepreneur friend recently. As she was recounting the ups and downs of her previous year, she let me know something she had learned: "I celebrate the things that are big for me, even if they would be small for someone else."How…
- 26 days ago, 29 Apr 13, 12:01am -
- Worth It
"Don't get pizza from there," my friend warned me last weekend in New York City. "If you want pizza waiting for you when you walk up and you want it to only cost 99 cents a slice, then it won't be very good."Pizza is like many other things in life: i…
- 27 days ago, 28 Apr 13, 12:01am -
- On Stepping Into Rivers
“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.”- Heraclitus On Saturdays, I share quotes I find inspiring. If you have one you love, send it my way!
- 28 days ago, 27 Apr 13, 12:01am -
- What, Then, Will You Learn?
It's one thing to be good at something; it's another (better) thing to commit to getting great at something.Cal Newport reminds us of this idea in this post. The challenge for us is not just to determine what we are good at doing (and maybe even love…
- 29 days ago, 26 Apr 13, 12:01am -
- How to Slow Down
If you're trying to decide between whether to do something or not, or if something is worth your time and attention, there is only one question to consider:Will this matter a year from now?If the answer to this question is no - about anything - don't…
- 30 days ago, 25 Apr 13, 12:01am -
- Near-Life Experiences
I'm not the first to voice this thought, but to me, more tragic than a near-death experience is a near-life experience.Imagine if the following were said about you:"She almost lived...""He nearly lived last week!"Let us not forget to live fully. To n…
- 31 days ago, 24 Apr 13, 12:01am -
- Just Write It
Last week, I fired off two quick emails. Less than 100 words each, when I clicked Send, I never felt better.They were two emails of admiration and thanks. One was sent to a friend to thank her for her courage and inspiration I found in a recent blog…
- 32 days ago, 23 Apr 13, 12:01am -
- Honor Thy Stand-Behinders
Here's an in-depth look at Felix Baumgartner and that awesome jump from the edge of space he did last year. It's a long profile but very well done. This line jumped out at me:He [Baumgartner] had demonstrated courage and near-perfect mastery of the f…
- 33 days ago, 22 Apr 13, 12:01am -
- Do the Thing You Want to Be
While painting last week, my daughter (who loves to color, paint, and draw) said, "Daddy, one day, I'm going to be an artist."I corrected her: "You already are an artist."All of us aspire to be someone or do something. Let us not forget that beginnin…
- 34 days ago, 21 Apr 13, 12:01am -
- Are You Savoring or Saving?
“If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve (or save) the world and a desire to enjoy (or savor) the world. This makes…
- 35 days ago, 20 Apr 13, 12:01am -
- People Are the Point
Building upon yesterday's idea that people are your project (and not just the work itself), I want to share with my brilliant friend Mark shared on Facebook a few weeks back that seems especially important for us now:We can be right, but not at the e…
- 36 days ago, 19 Apr 13, 12:01am -
- Your People Are Your Project
Lisa Endersby gets it right when she reminds us that for leaders, our project is our people.Our legacies are written on the hearts of others, not merely on some plaque or in a report that is filed each quarter. When we begin to look at the community…
- 37 days ago, 18 Apr 13, 12:01am -
- Meet Me at the 2013 Toastmasters International Convention
I'm very excited to be heading to Cincinnati this August to speak once again at the Toastmasters International Convention. I'm honored to be asked to speak to this audience of change-makers, fellow speakers, and leaders.I'll be presenting a new sessi…
- 37 days ago, 17 Apr 13, 1:47pm -
- Poetry Self and Prose Self
My guess is that inside of you are two selves - the poetry self and the prose self.One is high art, abstract, at times confusing, and nearly always beautiful. The other is straightforward, clear(er), explanatory, and complete. Your task is to know w…
- 38 days ago, 17 Apr 13, 12:01am -
- Your Children Are Watching
I know that not all of my readers have children, but when I ran across this quote, I had to share its impact:"Both my parents gave themselves permission to pursue their dreams in life, to do something really excellent that was theirs."This is what Bi…
- 38 days ago, 16 Apr 13, 4:06pm -
- The Case Against Next (part two)
Chris Guillebeau just spent the last 10 years traveling to all 193 countries in the world (those that are part of the UN, at least). And he now faces a very important question: What's next?Reflecting upon his journey, he writes, "If “What’s next…
- 39 days ago, 16 Apr 13, 12:01am -
- Beauty Should Give You Pause
I landed in Vegas, grabbed a burger, and then pointed my rental south toward Kingman. The high winds and low sun made the driving interesting, especially as I flipped through limited radio stations for a song I could hum along to as I surveyed this l…
- 39 days ago, 15 Apr 13, 11:54am -
- The Case Against Next (part one)
Jon Acuff makes a compelling case about why "now" matters more than "next." "Now is where today’s laughs live," he writes.We can often get caught up in what's next, especially if we're leading a group. The idea of leading implies motion, a quest fo…
- 40 days ago, 15 Apr 13, 12:01am -
- Making Something
The power of creation is making something out of nothing. This is what the entrepreneur does. The power of re-creation is making something out of something else. This is what the chef does.Regardless of the ingredients (nothing or something else), th…
- 41 days ago, 14 Apr 13, 12:01am -
