Ramblings From a Glass Half Full

What are the secrets to entrepreneurial success? The best way to discover them is to ask those who have overcome the odds to tell their stories, and that’s what the Oregon Entrepreneur’s Network (OEN) did last week here in Portland, inviting 15 Oregon entrepreneurs to speak at their first OEN Summit. I was honored to be the …

There’s a pesky pronoun out there that leaders need to be contstantly aware of. It’s a slippery one because it’s so short and sweet. One letter. It’s pesky because of the messages it sends to those who hear it. It could be simple. “It’s about me” Or a mixed message. “Well, it could be about you too, but how could you know, …

“A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter, or to others, is not a nice person. (This rule never fails).” – Jim Swanson, from Swanson’s Unwritten Rules of Management A big part of being a more human leader is showing respect – for the people you lead, and for the jobs that …

In my quest for more human leadership, I’ve discovered a core truth. If you encounter a workplace filled with people who love their jobs, you’ll find a great leader who made that happen. Those kind of environments don’t just pop out of thin air  - there needs to be a catalyst. And that catalyst is the leader. So what’s …

Two weeks ago I wrote about how leaders needed to be more human to achieve the “success trifecta” – a great company, happy employees, and a fulfilled leader. One of the pillars of the more human philosophy is the establishment of the Culture of Accountability.  I touched on it briefly on that previous post – it’s …

It’s so tempting…… There are times when it seems so logical, and so right, to just kick it back and push the auto-pilot button. Things are going fine. There are no disturbances in sight. Status Quo?   Sure, why not? (Plus, I’ve got other distractions calling me – like all those Social Media sites that keep popping messages on my …

I was always uncomfortable on a pedestal.   Call me modest, or humble, or whatever, but it just doesn’t suit me. There’s something so detached about it.   There’s a real physical separation between you, the leader, and they, the people you lead. Communication from the pedestal is made by words and sounds, both written and spoken.   But words …

It was the spring of 1981 –  my junior year in college.    I had just successfully completed my “core” courses in my selected major of accounting with “A”s across the board, and was sailing towards my senior year with a bright future of debits and credits ahead of me. Accounting seemed right for me.  I …