In this series, we’re discussing some of the snares that can surface when a business leader begins experiencing success. The first snare that often comes is praise. When Anne Beiler began growing Auntie Anne Pretzels, people started praising her for her success. But Anne kept thinking, “I’m not brilliant, I’m an 8th grade educated Amish stay-at-home mom.” But eventually, ...
Early in my career I observed a couple of guys who were both working hard to climb to the top of the corporate ladder. Over time, one of the two became a ruthless competitor. He would do anything to reach his goals. Although these two were best friends, they eventually found themselves vying for one key position. The ruthless one ...
Many small businesses are still trying to hire enough people to cover their workload. When you lead a small business, the frequency of hiring new employees is usually not that common. So, when your team is overwhelmed and you feel you need to hire additional help, it’s easy to move too fast. Instead, wisely pause and think through the important ...
According to the Wall Street Journal, Graza, a startup that sells squeezable bottles of olive oil, recently had a packaging and delivery problem that negatively impacted thousands of customers. The CEO, Andrew Benin, did not hire a consultant, instead he drafted a raw apology email to 35,000 customers. The key to his apology was that he personally and sincerely ...
Recently, I received an email from the daughter of a Christian author I met years ago. The email said, “If you knew my father, visit this website.” Instead of a tribute to his passing, this website was a diatribe by his daughter on what an adulterous and hypocritical man her father had been. There are two sides to every story, ...
At a Casey’s General Store, my wife, Kathy, stopped a young man in an Army uniform to thank him for his service, then paid for his gas! Kathy, then, asked this soldier if he’s often thanked for his military service. This polite soldier simply said, “No ma’am.” The lady in front of me then turned and thanked this soldier, then ...
In this series, we’re pondering the Ten Commandments and how they can relate to our business life. If you’ve ever been to a carnival and had an artist draw a picture of you, it can be offensive. Especially if the drawing’s not a proper representation of who you are. In Exodus 20:4, God said, “You shall not make ...
A recent Marist Poll on Faith in America discovered a higher level of faith in the workplace than what many business leaders might expect. For instance, 37% of people polled said that religion played at least a minor role in their decision on where to work. Furthermore, 32% said that they base most of their business decisions on their ...
Olathe Kansas Fire Chief, Jeff DeGraffenreid, recently shared that part of the fire department’s role is to help educate children on fire safety. Years ago, the Olathe Fire Department decided to use clowns to better engage with the children. For years, the program was successful, until recently when clowns became viewed as creepy. Jeff decided to eliminate the clown ...
While driving through Chick-fil-a, I noticed two bumper stickers on the car in front of me. One said, “Separation of Church and State.” The other said, “I don’t care what the Bible says.” Yet, this female driver told the order taker, “I just love Chick-fil-a!” It seemed that this person likely didn’t understand the irony in her love for ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
