Back to School, Back to Business!

It's time for "Back to School, Back to Business!"  You may find yourself appreciating routine more than normal this time of year, and longing for Fall, the winter holidays, or your next vacation.  Caution: Don't wish your life away!  Here are some ideas for making the most of this seasonal transition:

3 Paths to Greater Success Through the End of This Year

Attitude (Success)- The most important thing to remember about attitude was summed up nicely by Henry Ford when he said, "If you think you can, you can. If you think you can't, you can't."  Attitude overcomes cancer, creates inventions, and wins gold medals. 

The Five Olympic Attitudes

What I learned during my weight workout this morning, from a video presentation of Dennis Waitley (what perfect timing with the games in London currently!)

5 Olympic Attitudes (for Success):

I. Adapt to Change
A great formula for dealing with change proactively is KASH; continue enhancing in every area-
K nowledge
A ttitute
S kills
H abits

WOM is the Key to Growing Your Business!

Do you find yourself wondering when all the effort is going to pay off and your business will start overflowing with profit?  Most all business owners in the growth phase feel doubt and fear about where the business is going to come from. The most successful get really strategic and do more WOM.  Just last week, I was sitting near the front in a meeting, and a guy stood up with the mic in his hand and said, "Hi, my name is Shawn. Uh, it's been three years since my last...

Return On Investment

The High ROI of Business Coaching

Coaching is a relatively new industry, started in the 1980s, but has spread world-wide because it works. A 2001 Manchester study of 100 executives from Fortune1000 companies found that the average ROI (return on investment) was 5.7 times the initial investment in a typical executive coaching assignment. The study found the benefits to companies that provided coaching to executives were improvements in:

Part 3: How Today's Leaders Are Like Successful Athletes

Part 3 of 3

3. When it counts, they show up and perform.
Leaders today must realize that greater success is created when employees are enticed to show up and perform, most certainly when it really counts, but also every day. Long-running success in business comes from creating a mission, vision, and culture that employees not only appreciate but WANT to be a part of.

Part 2: How Today's Leaders Are Like Successful Athletes

Part 2 of 3

2. They learn to work as a part of a team.
Everyone on the team understands and plays with the knowledge that every player has a clear role on the team, and yet when needed for team success, anyone steps in and does what is needed to win.

Part 1: How Today's Leaders Are Like Successful Athletes

I was asked recently what I think today's business leaders need to be doing differently than 4-5 years ago, in consideration of the economic changes. I came up with a three-part model and used the ever-popular sports analogy for my answer. Upon reflection, I decided to share it out to the blogosphere in hopes that it is helpful for leaders at all levels in terms of creating more personal and professional success for themselves and others.

Part 1 of 3
Consider your favorite team-sport athletes with the most long-running career success. Let's borrow the strategy & apply these concepts to create long-running success in business:

1. They go to work on themself.
Athletes with the longest career success show us how to work on oneself and take responsibility for their own performance. They work on their own self (for long hours, practicing, repeating, and seeking ways to do better, better, better...) to build skills and lay a strong foundation for winning performance. Plus, even when experiencing consistent wins, they continue to work on their own performance.

What I Learned On The Treadmill This Morning

Double Bonus! Watching or listening to motivational material while walking or running on the treadmill is such a great way to boost us up. This morning I was watching a DVD series that featured some of the greatest speakers of our time: Les Brown and Jim Rohn.  Wow, what a great start to my day!  These were my top 3 takeaways during the short half hour of exercise:

Do I Have To Choose: Make Money or Do Good?

Are you among the vast majority that believes you can either 'Do Good' -OR- 'Make Money' - in other words, do you believe that truly wealthy people are not truly good people?  Even if your intellectual self is arguing this right now, there is a very good chance that down in your core you have fallen prey to this conditioned habit of thought in our society.  Yes, some of the very wealthy have prioritized money over people.  However, this is NOT the rule and thankfully when we analyze further we can see that the

Only Winners Set Goals

Success requires no apologies. 
Failure permits no alibis.
~ Napoleon Hill

Aaaah, the promise of a new year, and with it the hopes of greater achievements than years past.  I absolutely love this time of year.  All the planning and imagining how great things will be when all those accomplishments come to fruition!  Oh wait, a dose of reality...most people don't achieve their goals and dreams.  Most people don't set goals at all.  Most people don't allow themselves the "luxury" of dreams.  It's unfortunate that most people don't understand how it all works. 

What Not To Do at the End of the Year

I've compiled a short list of things NOT to do toward the end of the year, things that most people do - because they are either too tired, ignorant, or unmotivated to make the most of the present and plan appropriately for next year..

Yes, we want to eat, drink, & be merry. We worked hard all year and when nearing the end, it is natural to seek celebration and experience some "I deserve it" attitude. However, this is not the time to let yourself go.  You want to

How Running Made Me A Better Coach

~a personal story~

I am set to run my first half-marathon in 2 days. I'm a smidge intimidated at the thought of joining the crowd of 'real' runners and full marathoners, but at the same time I feel confident about completing the race.  I WILL finish. And in two months

3 Reasons Why a Sunny Outlook Brings More Success

People often make fun of "the power of positive thinking" - or consider people who subscribe synonymous with idiots walking on rainbows with rays of sunshine coming out their