winning

Prove Yourself Wrong to Get Your Plan Right

  One of our greatest strengths as adult humans is to the ability to “prove” ourselves right.  We do it in many different ways. First, we constantly look for evidence that supports what we believe to be true. At the same time, we actively block out data that contradicts our prevailing point of view, making…

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Are You in Mental Fight or Flight?

Have you ever made a dumb management decision? One that seemed like a good idea at the time, but after it fell flat you looked back and wondered, “What was I thinking?” We all do this from time to time. But you may be surprised to learn that one cause of this particular human trait is…

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How to Implement with Discipline and Focus

A while back, I wrote a blog about how hard it is to win in today’s business environment. What with global competition, low barriers to entry for most industries, uncertain economic conditions, and the constant need to innovate, achieving a position of market leadership seems tougher than ever. But while talking on this subject with…

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Are You Engaging to Win?

It’s time for my annual update on employee engagement, and once again the news isn’t good. In fact, based on data from Gallup, the trusted public opinion and research firm, the current state of employee engagement in the U.S. could well be described as dismal. In a recent State of the American Workplace Report, Gallup…

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Are You Practicing to Win?

What do Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, LeBron James, and other elite athletes have in common?  They all practice.  A lot. Even after winning world championships, the first thing they do the following season is undertake rigorous training and practice sessions to develop their skills to even higher levels. Then they play a number of practice…

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Are You Ready to Win in 2014?

Did you blink and 2013 zipped right by? Don’t worry, it happened to me too. Which means it’s now time to start getting ready to win in 2014! Here are the top five things you can do to prepare your organization to win in the year ahead. 1. Get clear on winning (your destination). Specifically,…

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Innovate Your Business Model… or Die

Kids say the darnedest things! Recently, researchers asked a group of 12-year olds if they typically listen to music on YouTube, an iPod, or a CD? Not surprisingly, the majority answered “YouTube.” However, the second most common response was, “What’s a CD?” Researchers also asked a group of high school students how they most often…

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Do You Have a Bias for Action?

Do you have a bias for action? These days, most of us do. From the time we wake up in the morning until we go to sleep at night, must of us are pushed from all directions to run as fast as we can. Never mind about whether we’re running in the right direction or…

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The “Short Pass” Approach to Winning in Business

The long bomb is one of the most exciting plays in football. Lofting a well-placed ball into the hands of a receiver streaking down the field can instantly change momentum and turn a losing effort into a dramatic win. But is it the best strategy for reaching the goal line? In 2012, NFL quarterbacks collectively…

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Why Winning is So Hard

News flash – winning is hard! If you don’t think so, just ask the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens, who got spanked by my Broncos on this season’s NFL opener.  Of course, they didn’t plan to lose that game. In fact, they had every intention of winning. But sometimes things don’t go according to…

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Open Up and Say AHHHHHH: Time for a Midyear Check Up

Summer’s here and we’re almost at the midpoint of the calendar year. Which means the #1 question on every business leader’s mind should be: how are we doing on our journey to winning? To find out, it’s time – once again – to check in with the strategic plan to see where things stand. I…

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Taking the Mystery Out of Innovation

Many people see innovation as a mystifying process that requires blinding flashes of creative insight to come up with new products that change the world. In reality, there’s nothing mysterious about it. As defined in the dictionary, innovation is simply “making changes in something established, especially by introducing new methods, ideas, or products.” Those blinding…

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