Tag: Inc. Magazine

Categories
Quotes

Leading With Integrity

Quote from Warren Buffett: “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”

We all admire someone who leads with integrity. We admire the whistleblower who risks their reputation to make the truth known. We like to believe we support a company with strong values that align with ours. We want to work with someone we know we can trust. Of course, that means we need to be that person too.

Leading with integrity is a practical trait in many circumstances. This article in Inc. Magazine reminds me of one of Warren Buffett’s famous quotes:

“Lose money for the firm, and I will be understanding.
Lose a shred of reputation for the firm, and I will be ruthless.”

Warren Buffett

A good reputation comes with living a life of integrity. It is humbling to think that a moment of dishonesty can ruin one’s reputation. Lead with integrity! Be on the guard for temptation that causes you to consider sacrificing it. That moment of indiscretion may do more to your ruin your life than you could ever imagine.

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”

Warren Buffett
Categories
Exercise motivation productivity

Exercise is the key to a Productive Day

Richard Branson is known for his unconventional leadership. An Inc.com article by Jeff Steen reveals his connection between exercise and productivity.

 

“The only reason I’m able to do all the things I do and to keep on top of a busy schedule without getting too stressed is because I stay fit.”

Richard Branson through a CNBC interview

It goes on to say that while exercise has many benefits, it also relieves stress and depression. I have to agree with the article. Exercise has been a part of my routine for twenty years. Between that and my spiritual practices, it has helped me stay active and productive through the good and challenging times. It has also helped me whenever I needed to get the creative juices going!

Our bodies were made to move. We don’t have to do marathons or Iron Man Competitions. You can start where you are. If you haven’t exercised for some time, a walk around the block is a good start.

Wherever you are, make exercise part of your daily routine. It has been a great benefit for me. And it can be for you as well.

Categories
Encouragement

A Language of Connection

Can our laguage make a difference when it comes to making a connection with others? Last year, it seemed every other phrase involved the term, “social distancing.” This article at Inc.com by Bill Murphy, Jr. had a good point about the term  and he proposed the following:

 

The less you can emphasize distance—and instead emphasize physical separation but social connection in your language—the better things might be for your employees.

Want to Be Happy? A Top Psychologist Says Stop ‘Social Distancing,’ and Do This Instead

We had to make a lot of adjustments last year. Is it possible we were affected so much by the challenging circumstances that we are unknowingly causing negative emotions to extend beyond a crisis?

Our language makes a difference when it comes to the results we want to see. Positive, encouraging language can influence outcomes. So let’s speak in a way that will do just that. We can influence the mood in a room, or even on a Zoom call by the words we speak.

Categories
accountability motivation

Stop wasting your life!

How much time do we spend doing wasteful things? We all have time-wasting bad habits that can burn up our time in creative ways. Do any of these sound familiar?

  • Did that one episode turn into a binge-watching bonanza that lasted through the night?
  • Do you find yourself munching down on the Halloween candy that was meant for the trick-or-treaters?
  • How about that one Twitter thread that was a train wreck of ideas, but you just couldn’t stop scrolling?

I won’t say which ones are my bad habits. But lets face it, we all know how to wast time.  An article from Inc. Magazine got my attention. My big takeaway is to consider how much time per hour that bad habit is costing you. Could you be doing something more productive instead of that bad habit? Is it costing you more than you thought?

For the most part, that advice holds up. Unfortunately, I can scarf down candy like it is going out of style. Wait, did I just confess one of my bad habits?

We all need a few moments of diversion and we can’t be productive twenty-four seven. However, the tip from the article reminds me that time is precious and we need to consider what choices affect us in the long run.

Categories
motivation

The Powerful Leadership Skill No One Wants to Use

Cartoon of two boys staring at a manhole. One says, "Sorry Mister. At least you can say you were part of a home run."

What is the most important leadership skill?

  • Is it the ability to ram your idea through your team?
  • Perhaps it’s Powerpoint skills? (Let’s hope not!)
  • Or maybe it’s the generosity to bring in doughnuts when your team has put in the hours on a big project?

No, one skill is a superpower that many souls value, but very few leaders have the courage to use it.

When I read this article by Josh Aten on Inc.com the other day, it struck me how simple the concept is. Then I thought about how rare of a quality it is. Frankly, many of us are scared to even consider it because we think it makes us appear weak. What is that quality?

it turns out that one of the most important leadership skills is admitting when you’re wrong.

Josh Aten on Inc.com

It’s so simple and obvious. Yet, I can see how it would have a stigma in many workplaces. After all, aren’t leaders supposed to be right all the time? Many leaders think that’s the case. Like my cartoon in 2009 showed, apologies can appear to show weakness and open us up to liability.

We Know Better

But we all know better. Nobody is right all the time. Anybody who has been in a relationship knows there are times they were wrong. We may not admit it, but we know there are times we should apologize, admit we were wrong and move on. It’s good for loving relationships. It’s good for all relationships, including professional ones.

I have had to use that skill recently. My wife and I have had some animated discussions about attitude. I’ve had to admit I can be the problem. It’s humbling when I can see the blind spots everyone else has but have no clue about my own. No wonder Jesus talked about the speck we see in a brother’s eye while we have a plank in our own eye. Yes, I’m guilty of that and I was wrong.

A sincere apology is a leadership skill that we rarely see in a business school curriculum. If we search for a good example in the media, we will probably be disappointed. Don’t expect to find a good example with politicians. We would even be hard-pressed to find a good example with journalists who have experienced a very unfortunate incident with a Zoom call.

Cartoon of two boys staring at a manhole. One says, "Sorry Mister. At least you can say you were part of a home run."