Harvard Business Review conducted a research project on creativity under pressure. The study found, “The more time pressure people feel on a given day, the less likely they will be to think creatively.” 2020 brought about the need to innovate, solve and pivot to accommodate the changing dynamics of business in a pandemic strained world. 2021 presents an opportunity to ...
Recently, Unconventional Business Network received a significant donation from a person I did not recognize with a note that read, “Thanks for your support and wisdom during my business transition.” God has blessed me with a good memory, yet this counseling situation had been forgotten. It caused me to consider the far-reaching impact a simple conversation can have that we ...
Business consultant Phil Clemmentis says, “Business owners needed a way to get advice that was set up in a way that they could understand and implement. Advice that cannot be implemented is worthless.” Often, business owners and employees attend training sessions and walk away with grandiose ideas but no implementation plan. The implementation plan is where the rubber meets the ...
When Jeff Bramstedt was in high school, he desperately wanted to play football. But as his parents prayed, they felt strongly that he was not to play football. Instead, Jeff’s parents told him that he could do competitive swimming and track and field. Jeff was frustrated but chose to make the best of his options. He threw his energy and ...
The qualities of a good shepherd in the Bible are similar to six qualities Jim Collins identified as Level 5 Leaders in his classic book, “Good to Great.” The second quality Collins identified is “Asking for help.” Unfortunately, many business leaders believe asking for help is a sign of weakness. When I was in banking, I respected one of my ...
Prudence is not an inviting word. Perhaps that’s because most people connect the idea of “prudence” with being a “prude.” And yet, that connection couldn’t be further from the truth. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, prudence is “the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason, shrewdness in the management of affairs, the skill of good judgment ...
We are not a patient society, and yet it’s a characteristic that can serve us all well. Why do you get impatient? It’s likely because you’re an emotional being. Impatience is spurred on by emotion—desire, hastiness, arrogance, anger, excitement, anxiousness, distraction, worry, frustration and intolerance. All kill patience and the wisdom it brings. These emotions are usually followed by rash ...
Mike Erwin, CEO of Character and Leadership Center, tackled decision-making in a Harvard Business Review article. He identified six reasons that can lead to poor decisions. Mr. Erwin’s third reason is lack of input. The Kellogg School found that, in a typical meeting, an average of three people do 70% of the talking. Unfortunately, the ones you probably need to ...
Recently, a foundation Executive Director mentioned to me that he’s excited that more people are having best practice discussions and are touring creative, faithforward businesses. Tony Holt, our St. Louis City Director, led a tour of business leaders into Cambridge Engineering for that purpose last year. It was valuable for these leaders to learn Cambridge’s approaches for modeling a biblical ...
A team of Harvard professors and students wrote an article called, “How Asking Multiple People for Advice Can Backfire.” They discovered that negative consequences can come when personal advisors feel that you embraced someone else’s opinion over theirs. These advisors sometimes conclude that anyone seeking input from multiple people is less competent. Rather than discourage seeking advice, the authors made ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
