As Unconventional Business Network celebrates our 20th anniversary, I reflected on our humble beginnings. In 2002, we started in the dreary basement of a bank building paying $343 a month rent. With God’s help, we raised $58,000 in donations that first year, including an $18,000 donated car. With that meager budget, we began publishing Integrity Moments, my first book, provided ...
The third step to fruitful networking is Being Relational. If you’ve been to very many networking opportunities, you have likely met the people who are more transactional in nature. They are the ones who are slinging cards to anyone who will take one and seizing every opportunity to promote their services. You won’t typically see them quietly talking with someone ...
Former Department of Defense head, Robert Gates, was featured on 60 Minutes recently. When Anderson Cooper asked him if he believed President Biden would ever admit to being wrong in how he withdrew us from Afghanistan, Gates laughed. He said, “I’ve worked for eight Presidents, and I’ve never heard any of them admit to being wrong.” When asked if they ...
In this series, we are looking at five traits common to successful entrepreneurs and how unconventional business leaders should approach each. Today’s focus is Complete Humility. Successful entrepreneurs recognize their weaknesses and gaps, look for partners that can fill those gaps, and negotiate to get what they need in a win/win approach. You might call this “humility,” but the Bible ...
When we host events, there are so many moving parts that inevitably we know there will be problems that surface the day of the event. That’s why when the event is over, it can be challenging for us to spend much time dwelling on the successes. Instead, we tend to dwell on our mistakes. Personally, I would like to do ...
Coach Tommy Bowden developed a system to help shape the character of his football players called CARDS. The final letter, and my favorite, is the S for Sacrifice. For a football team to become a high performing team, there are times when an individual player may need to sacrifice their personal desires for the good of the team. In business, ...
In the 1990s, I competed with banks that were violating banking laws to secure more loan customers. Many borrowers were being threatened, or even blackmailed, into doing business with these other banks. As a competitor, it was frustrating to lose deals because of illegal or immoral practices of other banks. Eventually, bank examiners shut down these banks for unsafe lending ...
When my youngest daughter was a teenager, I remember one day giving her some advice, I was stunned by her response. She said, “Dad, I suspect what you are telling me may be correct, but I’m the kind of person that needs to experience it on my own.” Sure enough, she ignored my advice and it cost her significantly. Being ...
If you’ve managed people for long, you will eventually have someone who is not meeting your expectations. Determining the next steps can be challenging. When someone is confronted with poor performance, some will get defensive and immediately assume that the problem is yours, not theirs. Their arrogance or overconfidence can prevent them from being willing to correct their issues, making ...
In a book called “Founding Fathers,” Alexander Hamilton and George Washington reportedly had a volatile relationship. Hamilton was known for his brash ambition and his hot-headed ways. On one occasion, Hamilton and George Washington had an argument over something petty that resulted in Hamilton resigning angrily. But, within an hour, Washington “sent an aide to tell Hamilton how highly he ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
