Some of the entrepreneurs I mentor have had their shops broken into, and I've seen the damage firsthand in the form of broken locks, stolen goods, and shattered windows. Starting and operating a business in South Africa is made more difficult by the country's high crime rate. One of the main obstacles to the growth…
Marie Curie [third from left front row] is the first scientist to have won two Nobel Prizes, and only one of two to have won them in two different disciplines. This picture was taken at The Solvay Conference, probably the most intelligent picture ever taken in 1927. In this picture are some of my favourite…
During a strategy session with a client a few days ago, the company's chairman told a story about why the organization was started. He talked about how he used to fight poverty and try to help poor people get out of it, until he thought, "Maybe, just maybe, if I start a company and it…
Taking the time to reflect on our actions or words we said is a tradeoff that can help us feel less bad [or even better] in the long run. Although I believe it to be crucial, in my opinion, we rarely pause to consider the consequences of our actions and words. This is the largest…
In his book, The Geography of Bliss, Eric Weiner had two lovely paragraphs on attention. Attention’ is an underrated word. It doesn’t get the… well, the attention it deserves. We pay homage to love, and happiness, and, God knows, productivity, but rarely do we have anything good to say about attention. We’re too busy, I…
A friend shared a guiding principle on innovation recently: "It is okay for execution to be incremental. Just avoid incremental thinking." This note made me think of a graphic about "minimum viable products." This struck a chord.
Consider the things we value in our interactions with others, kindness, honesty, patience and empathy, for starters. Now, think about how often you experience them. How many opportunities will you have today to amplify these qualities in your everyday interactions? How many will you take advantage of? We get to shape the future we want…
In a really interesting thread, Cory Muscara shared some of the profound epiphanies he had while meditating with Buddhist monks. The following is a selection that struck a chord: A sign of growth is having more tolerance for discomfort. But it’s also having less tolerance for bullshit. Procrastination is the refusal or inability to be…
No one is ignoring you, they are simply waiting for you to succeed. They are waiting for you to announce your accomplishments before they move you up on their priority list. When you're a no-one, no one cares about you. When you first begin to make money and become successful, everyone around you will suddenly…
First, we make a decision about our standards. Then our standards make us. As you build your business, your business builds you.
Kind. They are supportive. Listens. Patience. Their presence is calming. Cares. Active prayer life. They listen more than they talk. Purpose driven. They make the effort. Zero pride.
The key to effective leadership is uncomplicated: Imagine what life would be like in ten years. Go there in accordance with your values. People will follow you. Paint a picture of the future and go there. The important thing is not to paint a pretty picture with beautiful words and then go in the opposite…
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