"Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence." - Buddha

Technology has changed the way businesses and people operate. One by one traditional industries are disrupted by new entrants and new technologies. Most of which didn't exist even a year earlier. A constant flow of new products, new systems, new technologies and new competitors force us to adapt or die. Those who view Chaos and...

"Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it." - Lau Tzu

To make a connection with people and to lead effectively you have to be able to Flex on the fly. Having the ability to read body language, tone, messaging, facial expressions and personality type is an incredibly powerful business tool. Having the ability to take what you've observed and use it to tailor your approach is what...

"I love working with customers. Sales has really influenced everything I do. It has instilled in me the important traits of operating with a sense of urgency and listening to people." - Jeffrey R. Immelt

Having the ability to create and deliver clear, concise messages is an important attribute for all financial professionals. Sometimes your pitch is delivered in an elevator, by video conference, in a boardroom...

"There's nothing as exciting as a comeback - seeing someone with dreams, watching them fail, and then getting a second chance." - Rachel Griffiths

The road to the top can be treacherous. Throughout our careers we can all, hopefully, expect to experience periods of great success and prosperity. But, we should also expect a healthy dose of challenging times when we slip, fall or things come...

"The faith that anyone could move from rags to riches - with enough guts and gumption, hard work and nose to the grindstone - was once at the core of the American Dream." - Robert Reich

Some of the most inspiring stories of success come to us compliments of people who took an unconventional path to the top. Stories of people who traversed the "Horatio Alger-esque" Back-Roads to the top provide us with...

"Things can fall apart, or threaten to, for many reasons, and then there's got to be a leap of faith. Ultimately, when you're at the edge, you have to go forward or backward; if you go forward, you have to jump together." - Yo Yo Ma

Sometimes you have to take a Leap! Some people are risk takers and others are calculated risk takers. There is an enormous difference between the two. One can often lead to...

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." - John Quincy Adams

Leadership is always one of the common denominators uncovered when studying the behaviors and attributes of the most successful among us. Unfortunately, most people have a shallow view of what the term leadership truly means and how it actually works. Being an individual top-performing...

"You can feel the vibes, feel the people pulling for you." - Julius "Dr. J" Erving

He's got a great Vibe! Why he has a great Vibe shouldn't be a big mystery. Having a business with great energy has a lot to do with the Vibe of the individuals on the team. When teams have a great Vibe, and when they Vibe well together, they tend to gel as a team. And, when they gel, they compete harder and win more often....

"I've always found that anything worth achieving will always have obstacles in the way and you've got to have that drive and determination to overcome those obstacles on route to whatever it is that you want to accomplish." - Chuck Norris

The one with the most skill or highest intellect isn't always the one that succeeds. It is often the one with a relentless sense of Drive and commitment who sustains the...

"Paul Bunyan blew It.... Don't let your bank make the same mistake" - Rich Henry

The legendary Disney story of Paul Bunyan, Babe The Big Blue Ox and Joe Mufaw (the man with the chainsaw) provided an incredible lesson about thriving in the age of technology when it was originally popularized by William Laughead in 1916 as a promotional pamphlet for the Red River Lumber Company. Bunyan's story provides our first...

"The moment we believe that success is determined by an ingrained level of ability as opposed to resilience and hard work, we will be brittle in the face of adversity." - Joshua Waitzkin

The business world is overrun with shallow cliches that provide very little specific tactical direction. One of the most overused of these is the phrase "going to the Next-Level". This statement sounds great when delivered,...

"The highest compliment that you can pay me is to say that I work hard every day, that I never dog it." - Wayne Gretzky

When he was asked if his talent was a gift from above hockey's greatest player Wayne Gretzky responded by saying: "My talent was Wally Given". He was referring to the coaching he received from his dad, and to the countless hours they spent perfecting his game on the rink in their backyard in...

"I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen." - Ernest Hemingway

One of the most effective ways to connect with and influence people is to ask a question, shut up and listen. Unfortunately, we live in the age of talkers. The art of listening seems to be on it's way to becoming more of a lost art. Top-performers seem to listen better than the rest of us...

"Everyone needs a coach. It doesn't matter whether you're a basketball player, a tennis player, a gymnast or a bridge player." - Bill Gates

Whether we like to admit it or not we are all somebody's Frankenstein creation. Our early Dr. Frankenstein's were our parents, friends and family members. From there our teachers and professors filled this essential developmental role. Hopefully, we had great mentors...

"My idea of good company is the company of clever, well-informed people who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company." - Jane Austen

Can you initiate and maintain an interesting conversation for 18 holes, the length of a dinner or ball game? Do you know how to engage others in business brainstorming sessions? Do you know how to conduct a consultative conversation? Do you know how to...

"As you navigate through the rest of your life, be open to collaboration. Other people and other people's ideas are often better than your own. Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life." - Amy Poehler

As technology changes the way we work and communicate, the idea of Collaboration with others becomes more important than ever before. We...

"So much of life is a negotiation - so even if you're not in business, you have opportunities to practice all around you." - Kevin O'Leary

In life we find ourselves negotiating for most things. Sometimes we negotiate with our employers, sometimes with teammates, sometimes with clients and sometimes with our spouses and children. Back and forth negotiation is everywhere. Working with others to get them to...

"The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively" - Bob Marley

Life should be about more than the size of one's bank account, what car they drive or whether they fly first class, coach or on a private jet. Or maybe it shouldn't be? What matters is that the Dashboard we each use to measure the quality and success of our...

"A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people." - Mahatma Gandhi

When you ask the leaders of great teams why they continuously outplay their competition, they very often reference the quality of their people and their Culture. When asked to elaborate many will point out that their people ARE their Culture. True sustainable competitive advantage is about people and Culture, but most...

"Time management is probably the biggest thing I've had to learn to deal with being on the PGA Tour, whether it be media or figuring out how many weeks to play in a row. That's been the biggest adjustment, coming from amateur and college golf." - Rickie Fowler

Calendar management does not necessarily equate to high level time and productivity management. The calendar is one element in a broader formula for...

Sometimes you have a message you want to get across, a philosophy you want to reinforce or a theme you want driven home with your team. But, you just don't have the time, research or content to do it on your own. And sometimes you just need 3rd party validation and industry expertise to help support your strategy. You pick the topic... and we take care of the rest for you.

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