Maximize Your Giving by Avoiding Takers

The difference between givers who climb the success ladder and those who struggle comes in who they do their giving to. The most successful givers are strategic when they give: they will give generously to fellow givers as well as to takers, but they will be very cautious about giving to takers.

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Helping Others Is the Greatest Motivator

A sense of service to our customers, our prospects, and our business partners is the greatest source of motivation that exists. So many people approach situations looking to see, “What’s in it for me?” and then wonder why they can’t find good partners, why there are no strong relationships. When you make it about the other person, when you start by looking to build a genuine relationship and don’t worry about selling anything or getting your “fair share,” then you build a powerful connection. And in the long run, that will come back to you tenfold.
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Traits of Great Leaders

Leaders come in all shapes and sizes. They can be found in all different places. Francesca Zambello is the artistic director of the Washington National Opera, and her advice about leadership is just as true in business as it is in the creative fields.
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Hiring the Right Public Relations Firm

Hiring a public relations firm can be a huge boost to your marketing strategy, freeing you to focus on your business while putting professionals to work at keeping you and your business in the public view. But setting out to hire a PR firm can be a daunting task. Where do you even begin, with the many different firms to choose from?

Unique Selling Propositions

When you start your business, you will probably be competing with a number of other companies. Why should customers come to you instead of them? The trick to setting your business apart is creating a Unique Selling Proposition.
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Go for the Win-Win

If a business owner were just thinking of himself or herself, then the business would never make it. Sure, things might be ok for a little while, but long-term sustainable success only comes when your business is focused on other people. Going for a win is not enough; you need the win-win.
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Always Keep Your Promises

To develop a strong brand, you have to get customers to know your value proposition. They should know what makes you different from your competitors. But it’s not enough for them to just know what you say makes you different; they should know from seeing you fulfill your promises.
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Keeping the Entrepreneurial Spirit Alive

As any business ages and grows, it will change. You don’t always do things the same way you did as a startup. The quest for innovation and new approaches to problems often gradually give way to a focus on incremental improvements and doing what you’ve always done, just a little bit better. This problem is part of what is widely known as The Innovator’s Dilemma, after the title of the book by Harvard professor Clayton Christensen.
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Building a Culture of Growth

A culture that encourages and rewards growth can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. When you build an organization, the right emphases and values can be a strong factor for growth. It requires every member of the team, from top to bottom, to buy into the right principles and beliefs.
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Reasonable Person Principle

Any time you get a group of people together, there are bound to be misunderstandings and disagreements. How you handle these situations is important for a strong corporate culture. The Reasonable Person Principle is a simple but effective approach to building a culture of trust.
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