Kathy and I returned from a beautiful morning on the beach. The sun was shining, the wind was gentle, and the day looked like it would bring more of the same. Then we received the call. We were told that Hurricane Helene was headed in our direction and that we needed to evacuate the island. The situation seemed surreal. The ...
There’s a radio program that’s about buying real estate with very little cash. The host of the program claims he can make us rich if we borrow as much debt as possible to buy real estate. The result, however, is an upside-down pyramid of debt. As a young man, I borrowed excessively to buy real estate. You can make ...
Recently, our church taught a series on God in the Storms. Our pastor mentioned that there are times when storms can be God’s way to teach us something significant. But sometimes we don’t learn the lesson the first time. If you’re like me, sometimes I don’t learn the second or third time either. When God keeps sending the same kind ...
In the Kendrick Brothers new movie, The Forge, a young man named Isaiah is mentored by his new boss. Early in the movie, Isaiah’s boss notes that Isaiah doesn’t know how to properly shake hands. Later, the CEO teaches Isaiah to shake hands firmly while looking his new acquaintance in the eyes. Many employers express a growing concern that many ...
This week I’ve been teaching on the 4 C’s of Hiring. After you’ve investigated someone’s character and discovered whether or not they’re called and passionate about your mission, then it’s important to select the most competent. Competence is third on my list because many skills can be taught if they have strong character and passion. Nevertheless, finding and hiring ...
In the mid-1990s, I started a consulting practice. I started hearing about this new sensation called the internet. Everyone began talking about “websites.” Having America as my prospect list instead of just Kansas City seemed like a great idea. Eventually, I hired a company to build a website for my business. I lost my investment in that website when ...
In the 1990s, the internet became public. Investors began investing in local companies that now had a global market available to them. Almost anyone with a Dot-com web address started getting investment capital, even if they never made money. By 2000, when these investors began selling their money-losing stocks it created the Dot-com bubble and the stock market crashed. ...
My friend, Jim, is a retired CEO who, over the years, assumed leadership in multiple floundering organizations. Jim’s experience revealed that a toxic culture can take five to six years to heal. Jim learned, when you try to change a culture, 20% of your workforce will typically embrace the change. 60% will be neutral, but the remaining 20% will ...
In the past, the business community has grown accustomed to a certain level of educational training provided to high school and college graduates. In my opinion, the future is soon to change dramatically. During the pandemic, remote learning too often became no learning at all. In many schools, standards were lowered, graduating many students without basic educational skills. As these ...
Surprisingly, there’s one thing Republicans and Democrats agreed on recently; the impact small businesses have on America. When research firm, Gallup, asked about which institutions have the greatest positive impact on American society, small businesses won hands down. 85% of survey respondents named small business as having the most positive impact on society, beating out churches, the military, and large ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
