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Leadership Thought #443 – Leaders Need To Keep Raising The Bar of What’s Possible

There is a fine line between being good at what you do for a period of time and achieving sustained success. If you are not careful short-term success can lead to long-term complacency. Once you scale the mountain, start looking for the next peak/challenge. Don’t spend too long enjoying the view from the top. I see it all the time: leaders who once had really high standards and big dreams start lowering their expectations and/or getting distracted by other things. They start to spend more time enjoying the fruits of their success than planting the next crop to harvest. Of course, you should bask in the glow of your accomplishments and take some time to appreciate what winning feels like. However, never forget what it took to get you there.

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Leadership Thought #440 – Avoid Being Put On A Pedestal

Avoid being put on a pedestal by yourself or by others. I’ve seen good people get too full of themselves when they begin to view themselves as extra special and different from everyone else. In happens in all industries and in all sectors. Nonprofit leaders certainly aren’t excluded. It is never good for any of us to be surrounded by people who are too deferential. Success without humility typically leads to ego issues. I’m not saying we shouldn’t value or respect accomplishment, but we shouldn’t put a disproportionate emphasis on the attributes of the person. Superlative outcomes are usually the result of good timing, hard work and specialized focus not generic ability. In addition, doing good work that taps into your unique talents makes a positive difference in the lives of others should be enough of a reward. Don’t get too caught up with celebrating YOU.

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Leadership Thought #435 – In Life And Business, There Are Winners and Losers

Winning does matter. Our country is built on the idea of individual freedom, personal initiative, competitive markets and free enterprise. In the Unites States we are constantly keeping score and rewarding those that achieve in all walks of life. You can chose to live a reactive and safe life rather than a proactive and riskier existence, but then you are dependent upon others who create the overall conditions of success from which you earn your living. This doesn’t mean that all successful people do it the right way or have admirable values. There will always be individuals who cheat the system or take advantage of the less fortunate. However, I would contend that this number is smaller than everyone thinks and our legal system (contrary to popular opinion) does a good job of ferreting them out. It certainly is not perfect, but our civic system and the “rule of law” does exist and often works. Regardless, we all learn from an early age that life isn’t fair and all we can control is our actions in response to anything that happens. There are very few true victims in life…

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    Recommended Reading

  • Life Design Workbook

    Peggy and James Vaughan

    Please click on this link for a Summary of the Life Design Workbook.   The Life Design Workbook is a comprehensive guide that empowers you to take control of your life by making intentional choices that reflect your true values and aspirations. Written by Peggy Vaughan and James Vaughan, Ph.D., this workbook serves as a transformative […]

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  • Reflections on the Art of Living: A Joseph Campbell Companion

    Joseph Campbell - Selected and Edited by Diane K. Osbon

    Listen to Book Review AudioView the Book

    Please click on this link for the Reflections on the Art of Living – A Joseph Campbell Companion Book Summary   “Reflections on the Art of Living” offers a transformative perspective on the human experience. Campbell’s unique blend of scholarly knowledge and practical wisdom provides a framework for understanding personal experiences and finding meaning in […]

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  • Managing Oneself

    Please click on this link for the Managing Oneself Book Summary. We live in an age of unprecedented opportunity: with ambition, drive, and talent, you can rise to the top of your chosen profession regardless of where you started out. But with opportunity comes responsibility. Companies today aren’t managing their knowledge workers careers. Instead, you […]

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    Helpful Websites

  • U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis

    The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis is your source of accurate and objective data about the nation’s economy. What We Do BEA’s economists produce some of the world’s most closely watched statistics, including U.S. gross domestic product, better known as GDP. We do state and local numbers, too, plus foreign trade and investment stats and industry data. Economic Accounts: Descriptions of BEA’s principal programs and […]

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  • Middle Market Journal

    This is a platform that provides valuable insights and analysis specifically tailored for mid-sized businesses. The site covers a wide range of topics, including market trends, investment strategies, industry challenges, and leadership tips, all designed to help business owners and executives in the middle market grow and succeed. It’s a great resource for staying informed […]

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  • Fathom

    Fathom takes the hassle out of note-taking during coaching sessions by automatically transcribing key points, allowing you to stay fully engaged during meetings while having a record of the conversation for review later. “Fathom records, transcribes, highlights, and summarizes your meetings so you can focus on the conversation.”

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    Video Favorites

  • Doris Kearns Goodwin On Presidential Leadership

    Acclaimed American historian DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN on judging presidential leadership today versus national leaders of the past, President Obama’s fixation on Abraham Lincoln, the role of the media in toxic politics, and parallels between the deep divisions of today and the era of Teddy Roosevelt a century ago.

  • The basics of AI for business

    On the TED@BCG stage, AI pathfinder Philipp Gerbert dispels the myth of AI as a complex and mysterious tool for business. In reality, he says, even those of us outside Silicon Valley can have an intimate understanding of AI and put it to work today. Gerbert walks us through the ABC’s of AI and what […]

  • Reinventing creative thinking

    Thinking out of the box — it’s one of the most cited strategies for innovation. Corporate philosopher Luc de Brabandere pondered exactly what was happening in our minds when we think creatively, and shares his own perspective on this strategy. He argues that the most incredible ideas don’t come from just thinking beyond the perimeter […]

    Reading Excerpts

  • Principles By Ray Dalio

    Principles Book Summary   Part 1: Chapter 1 Over the course of our lives, we make millions of decisions that are essentially bets, some large and some small. It pays to think about how we make them because they are what ultimately determines the quality of our lives… We are all born with different thinking […]

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  • A Sense of Urgency – John Kotter

    Click on this link for the A Sense of Urgency Book Summary A Sense of Urgency – Book Excerpt (Click on this link for the Word document)   Chapter 1 – It All Starts With A Sense of Urgency …Go check, then you find people running, and they are stressed out. But this man (leader), […]

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  • The Truth About Leadership by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner

    Please click mon this link for The Truth About Leadership Book Summary. The Truth About Leadership – Book Excerpts   The Truth About Leadership By James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner Book Excerpts   Introduction – The Ten Truths The first truth is that you make a difference. It is the most fundamental truth […]

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