It sounds contradictory, but there’s an important business lesson behind it: breakeven isn’t the finish line—it’s the launch point for profitability. When launching a new product, division, or business, the first objective should be to reach breakeven as quickly as possible. Once fixed overhead is covered, incremental sales can contribute disproportionately to the bottom line. That…
Here are a few practices that have helped me over the years: Ultimately, sound judgment isn’t about always getting it right. It’s about developing the humility, discipline, and perspective to make better decisions—and to learn when we get them wrong. What would you add to this list? How have you developed sound judgment over the…
Getting the right people on your bus and in the correct seat is vital. Every bit as important is getting the wrong people off the bus. I don’t know about you, but I have at times tolerated poor performance for too long. It is much better to address poor performers quickly….and fairly. Why is this?…
Who you walk with can make or break your company…..and your career. Proverbs13:20 says, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” So, who are you walking with? Everyone, especially leaders, needs peers and trusted advisors that they can lean on. By God’s grace, with great teammates, and allot…
Success is great. It’s rewarding. It’s the culmination of hard work. Except when it isn’t what you are experiencing, when you are caught in the whirlwind of a downturn, a market change, or the results of poor decision making. I will never forget the Great Recession of 2007-2009. We thought we were positioned well for…
A year and a half ago I shared the email copy I’ve included below about my dad’s journey in life, starting with his time in the Netherlands during WWII, ending in a nursing home in the USA. I have never received as much positive feedback regarding a post as I did with this one. I…
Individually and collectively, we perform at a much higher level when we hold ourselves and others accountable. This isn’t about being a pest or “big brother”, but it is about coming to agreement regarding what we hope to accomplish, and should be tied, ultimately, to where we hope to be in the future. I have…
Have you ever worked for an organization whose cultural walk didn’t match their talk? This can be a maddening experience. You may have been attracted to the team because of the values they publicized or the awards they received. Your personal values and culture probably resonated with the team you were joining, and you were anticipating…
You will react better individually and corporately to challenges and opportunities if you regularly engage in strategic and operational planning. Really. Establishing a strategic plan is vitally important for organizational health. It gets everyone focused on where we are going, pointing the entire team’s arrows in the same direction, aligning our staff around a common cause. The planning process and…
You will react better individually and corporately to challenges and opportunities if you regularly engage in strategic and operational planning. Really. Establishing a strategic plan is vitally important for organizational health. It gets everyone focused on where we are going, pointing the entire team’s arrows in the same direction, aligning our staff around a common cause. The planning process and…