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You're Not Making Enough Mistakes
Many of today's best companies arose out of lucky mistakes. That's why fear of being wrong is the biggest mistake of all.If you have ever flown in an airplane, used electricity from a nuclear power...
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How to Make a Brilliant Mistake
The difference between a great company and a mediocre one isn't whether it avoids mistakes. It's how much it learns when it makes them.Everyone makes mistakes—every entrepreneur, every business leader,...
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Throw Away Your Job Descriptions
The traditional way to hire is to decide what Mr. or Ms. Right is like and then go find the closest match. There's a better way.If you want to innovate, you have to be willing to make mistakes. I take...
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Failed? 7 Great Ways to Bounce Back
Every entrepreneur stumbles, so get over it. The key thing is to keep thinking like a winner.A tennis friend of mine built a flourishing direct marketing firm, with over 50 employees—flourishing, that...
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6 Habits of True Strategic Thinkers
You're the boss, but you still spend too much time on the day-to-day. Here's how to become the strategic leader your company needs.In the beginning, there was just you and your partners. You did every...
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9 Ways to See Change Coming
Great strategic thinkers have a gift for seeing threats and opportunities before anyone else. Here's what they look for.To get a business going, you need entrepreneurial vision. To keep it performing...
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4 Secrets of Great Critical Thinkers
The best problem solvers see a complex problem through multiple lenses. Here's how to become a better strategic thinker and leader yourself.In 2009, J D Wetherspoon, a chain of more than 800 pubs in...
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How Strategic Thinkers Get It Right
Most people let old ideas influence current decisions. But true strategic thinkers interpret situations from many angles and come up with better solutions. Every time.Uncertainty can be scary – but...
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A Hedge or Bet? A Matter of Perspective
JP Morgans recent multi-billion trading loss reminds us that matters of risk entail a healthy dose of consideration. Here's what you need to know.On one level, the answer is simple. If an investment...
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Make Smarter Decisions: 3 Easy Steps
Want to feel more confident that you're making the right decisions? Check out how a few simple steps can dramatically improve your decision process.It's not often that a CEO sends a public note to key...
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Rally Your Team Around a New Strategy
Before you can execute a new strategy, you have to align your team around this new direction. Here are a few ways to get everyone onboard.When drafting the Declaration of Independence in 1776, Ben...
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How to Create a Positive Learning Culture
No one has all the answers--and that's actually a good thing. Here's how you should approach creating a better learning environment.Face it: You don’t know everything. So at the individual level, you...
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How to Prepare for the Unexpected
Strategic thinkers see big changes coming before everyone else in their industry. Fortunately, it's an acquired skill.Maybe you’ve set aside a small rainy-day fund--just in case you have a month when...
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7 Ways to Apply Scenario Planning
How do you expect the unexpected? Check out how you can benefit from a little preparation.Whenever you face high uncertainty, you need to be creative as you navigate uncharted waters. But you also need...
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Why Failure Is the Foundation of Innovation
Here's why you should celebrate your mistakes and foster a culture that dissects mistakes for learning purposes.Whether you believe it or not, mistakes can often be used to create insights and...
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How to Control Your Emotions After You Fail
Everyone makes mistakes, and, typically, emotional turmoil follows. Here's how you can channel those negative feelings into an opportunity to learn.As a dynamic manager leading your company, you will...
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How a Simple Nudge Can Create Big Change
When it comes to your company's wellness programs, sometimes a simple "nudge" can be more effective than overbearing rules.To make healthier choices, sometimes we need a gentle push in the right...
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A Better Way to Work Technology Into Your Business
Technology is moving fast, and so should your company. Here's how to systematically instill a tech-savvy culture.The new wave of digital technologies, especially mobile, social media, and the cloud,...
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6 Traits of Truly Credible Leaders
Sitting at the top of the ladder doesn't make you a great leader. Here's how to make sure you get your employees' support and trust.You started modestly in your career and have made it to the...
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Election 2012: Undecided? Here's How to Choose
Taxes, spending, immigration--put the issues aside and examine your own decision-making process before you cast your vote this November.As you prepare for the upcoming presidential election, you should...
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How Metaphors & Analogies Influence Your Thinking
Metaphors can influence your thinking in powerful ways. But few appreciate how their seductive allure often obscures key elements that should be considered.It can be quite revealing to tune in to the...
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Is Poker a Good Metaphor for Business?
When it comes to management, can the principles of poker be applied successfully? Beware the metaphor's blind spots.Poker has gone from smoke filled backrooms to high stakes television shows in recent...
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Does Your Team Match Your Strategy?
The only way to know whether there are serious gaps between your team and your new strategy is to step back and evaluate both.You just came out of your strategy review session with wind at your back....
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How to Know If a New Strategy Will Work
No matter how good your team is, a flawed strategy is hard to implement.The hard, cold reality is that many strategic projects fail. A previous column discussed key issues about team composition,...
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Why You Need to Play War Games
The military hones its strategies with role-playing simulations. The technique can help your business, too--but you have to make it realistic.Before the SEALs raided Osama bin Laden’s hideout, they...
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6 Ways to Attract Top Talent
Even in today's economy, the most talented workers have plenty of choices. Here's how to make sure they join you, not the competition.Your company is in a war for talent, and in that war, just about...
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5 Ways to Know What Your Customers Want Before They Do
You have to train yourself to see the world through their eyes. Here's how.The number one worry we hear from our clients today is this: “I need to understand my customer better, but it's getting...
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Governance: the Critical Factor Most Business Owners Get Wrong
At your company, is it crystal clear who makes what decisions, on what basis, and with what goal? Are you sure?Success or failure, the creation of value or the lack of it all come down to one thing:...
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How to Defuse an Ethical Time-Bomb in Your Company
Maybe you think that problems can't infect your company because you've got clearly stated rules against them. Boy, are you in for a surprise.Nothing keeps a business owner up at night like the nagging...
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The 3 Decisions That Made Mandela a Truly Great Leader
Only a handful of people in a century command the global authority that Nelson Mandela does. These three crucial judgments cemented his greatness.Nelson Mandela's life story has long since become a...
View ArticleMaking the Most of Your Board
At its best, your board of directors is a band of wise advisors, who can open doors for you and tell you the truth when no one else will. At worst, it can be an ineffectual millstone. It's all in how...
View ArticleLearning by Error: How to Make Hay When Things Go Hay-Wire
Like any forward-looking leader, you encourage your team to make mistakes. But odds are, they don't believe you really mean it. Here's how to fix that.
View ArticleWhat Poker Really Teaches You About Business
Winning poker players and successful business leaders both do what most people don't: Act rationally in the face of uncertainty.
View ArticleNelson Mandela, Transformational Leader
It's hard enough to change a small company, but Mandela transformed an entire continent. Here's what gave him the authority to do it.
View ArticleThe Ecstasy and Agony of Customer Service
Getting customers is an important goal--but keeping them matters more. Here are four key lessons from a recent experience I had with the cable company.
View ArticleHow to Deal With Customers You Wish You Didn't Have
Do you have customers who abuse your services, cost money, or otherwise damage your business? Here are 5 steps to tackle these thorny issues.
View ArticleBad Customer Service Happens, But You Don't Have to Accept It
Many organizations drop the ball when it comes to customer service. They need to reframe such instances as teaching moments and opportunities to build customer loyalty.
View ArticleCVS's Decision to Forgo $2 Billion Seems Crazy--But Might Just Work
After all the news filters out about CVS jettisoning cigarettes, that's when the really interesting business decisions will go down.
View ArticleHow to Set Your Company's Business Strategy From the Outside In
When setting the course for your company, first think about how your company fits into the world around you.
View ArticleHow to Unleash Creativity? Poll the Crowd
To devise the best internal-growth strategy, it's vital to seek outside opinions.
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