Have you fallen into The Mile Wide Trap?
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Have you fallen into The Mile Wide Trap?

If your company’s revenue has stalled after a period of rapid growth, you may have fallen into The Mile Wide Trap. Consider the case of Kim (not her real name) who runs a public relations firm. Kim studied marketing at school and went on to work for a big advertising agency where she spent ten…

Take a Blood Pressure Test for Your Business
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Take a Blood Pressure Test for Your Business

When was the last time you had your blood pressure tested? Taking your blood pressure is one of the first things most doctors do before treating you for just about anything. How much pressure your blood is under as it courses through your veins is a reliable indicator of your overall health; and it can…

Why Bother Doing It the Hard Way?
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Why Bother Doing It the Hard Way?

Whether you want to sell your business next year or a decade from now, you will have two basic options for an external sale: the financial or the strategic buyer. The Financial Buyer The financial buyer is buying the rights to your future profit stream, so the more profitable your business is expected to be,…

The Power of Consistent Evaluation
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The Power of Consistent Evaluation

Evaluate every aspect of your organization on a regular basis. To ensure focus, productivity, efficiency, and successful results, everything from your people to your processes to your systems to your priorities to your projects needs to be consistently evaluated. Think of it like giving your organization a regular check-up to make sure it’s performing at an optimal level. Many executives focus on…

Six Ways to Profit From Your Vacation
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Six Ways to Profit From Your Vacation

Summer is almost over, and many of us are getting in those last weeks of vacation before Fall. Although it may seem strange, now may be the perfect time to increase the value of your company. The most valuable businesses are the ones that can survive without their owner. A buyer will pay a premium…

3 Steps to Solve Problems More Effectively
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3 Steps to Solve Problems More Effectively

You can tell the effectiveness of a leader by the size of the problems they tackle. More responsibility brings greater problems and bigger decisions. If the problem was easy to solve, someone else would have already solved it. As a leader, you already understand the value of solving problems. Now it’s up to you to help others solve problems more effectively….

How Executive Leaders Make Tough Decisions
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How Executive Leaders Make Tough Decisions

Making clear decisions is a critical factor to effective leadership. However, many executives suffer from decidophobia, the fear of making tough decisions. Decisions take courage, and courage means taking intelligent risks to move the organization in the direction of the vision. It’s important to gather data and perspectives, and you can use several decision-making models to help you do it well. However,…

The Most Effective Leaders Never Stop Learning
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The Most Effective Leaders Never Stop Learning

Great leaders are great learners. Getting feedback from others allows you to continue to learn and grow. Just like you want your team and your organization to improve, you also want to improve yourself. Ask others for feedback on a regular basis. Some leaders make the mistake of thinking they need to have all the answers. Successful leaders never stop learning —…

Are You Challenging Assumptions In Your Workplace?
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Are You Challenging Assumptions In Your Workplace?

A successful leader once shared that he constantly asks himself one question: “What am I not seeing?” Assumptions are one of the areas that may be a blind spot, and leadership requires us to challenge them repeatedly. What used to work yesterday may no longer apply today, and it’s important for leaders to question and challenge those assumptions. The hardest part about…