Over the years I have served on many different boards. Occasionally, I’ll serve alongside another board member who dominates the conversation, expressing opinions on almost every subject. Unfortunately, center-of-attention kinds of people don’t usually ask many questions or seek understanding. Instead, they tend to only offer uninformed opinions. This means that their input often overlooks important facts. They haven’t taken ...
Many seem to believe that science and religion inherently conflict with each other. A Mind Matters article about Elaine Howard Ecklund’s study of scientists’ attitudes towards religion, however, may help debunk that belief. Through more than 40,000 surveys, Ecklund found, that at least 30% of scientists declared a religious affiliation. Her study also discovered that two-thirds of United States scientists do not ...
A friend of mine was considering some speaking engagement opportunities to teach potential business prospects about his consulting niche. But my friend rarely teaches publicly, and when he does, unfortunately, he struggles to hold people’s attention. Many professionals build their business by writing books and teaching to generate leads. But not all people are gifted teachers. Some people speak without ...
In leading any organization there are constant challenges and decisions to be made. Some decisions are more difficult than others, which can leave me feeling inadequate at times. That’s when I yearn, and seek, the wisest counsel I can find. Fortunately, I have access to boundless wisdom. Recently, faced with some difficult decisions, I was reminded of the importance of ...
An economic indicator I find valuable is the National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Optimism Index. This index checks the pulse of small business owners. The 50-year average score for this optimism index has been 98. Last month, the index fell to 88.5, the lowest level since 2012. The primary concern listed in the survey by these entrepreneurs is ...
My friend, Jim, in his previous CEO role, was meeting with a newly promoted store manager. Jim knew this person could have some valuable insight from his frontline experience. But, when Jim asked this new manager for ideas to improve the stores, he didn’t receive any feedback. Jim tried a different approach. Jim informed this new manager that at the ...
Many business owners sign agreements to sell their business before discovering how to leverage that transaction for a greater charitable impact. Fortunately, Dennis was one we reached before it was too late. Dennis was in early discussions of selling his machine tooling business when I learned that none of his advisors had discussed with him donor advised funds. The result ...
Our pastor, Tim, recently shared a story about becoming desensitized. Years ago, Tim was asked to speak at a youth camp. When Tim first opened his cabin door, he gagged due to the rank smell of urine. When he asked his cabinmate how he could stand the smell, his cabinmate shrugged unawares. Days later, Tim’s wife visited. When she ...
One of the things I enjoy most about teaching is when God shows up, in response to my prayers. Recently, I was delivering a talk when I sensed God urging me to scrap one of my stories and substitute another. I marveled as I watched closely the eyes of the men listening. That story resonated with them. Several men later ...
Bill and I hadn’t seen each other for a couple of years, yet it didn’t take long until we were sharing openly about our challenges in life. As I described one of my concerns, Bill smiled and said, “I had a phone call this morning I think may have been meant for you just as much as it was for ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
