The Entrepreneur
Redefining Entrepreneurship
I have often been part of a civic group discussing how to assist the growth of small businesses in the community. The word entrepreneur is commonly used by members of the group, but it seems that the term means different things to different people. Some define an entrepreneur as anyone who goes into business for themselves. That could be anyone who decided to start a business cutting lawns or washing cars. These are all noble businesses and do provide income for their owners, but it seems that this type of entrepreneurship is not the type celebrated widely. There needs to be more to it than providing a service or several jobs.… Read the rest
Setting goals is one of the most important keys to achieving success. Studies have shown that the most successful people are the ones who have specific, written goals.
There are many important steps to consider when developing a Business Plan for your company, but the first step is to fully understand the main uses of a business plan. The four main uses of a business-plan are as follows:
It is quite common that an association will have an annual retreat with their Board of Director. One of the primary workshop subjects for that retreat is the review and revision of the association’s Strategic Plan. Another might be a review of board governance. Let us consider a third, Business Model Generation.… 
In two previous articles, we discussed results-based leadership and some of the possible methods of making that happen. I want to share with you some of the thoughts written by the late 
what we do, not the role we are in. Some people in “leadership roles” are excellent leaders. But too many are bosses, “snoopervisors,” technocrats, bureaucrats, managers, commanders, chiefs, and the like. Conversely, many people who have no formal leadership role are excellent leaders. In today’s fast changing world, we all need to be leaders.… 
Much like a football team that is playing in the Super Bowl, having a game plan and the desire to win is important. Unfortunately, my Steelers will not have a chance to repeat this year. However, winning depends on execution. One of your primary roles as a leader is that of a coach. Coaches reinforce the results they believe people are capable of achieving.
In our previous article, 
Those who have studied successful leaders over the last 300 years or more have found certain traits successful leaders had in common that accounted to their achievements.
Successful leaders are individuals with high levels of personal power. Understanding the difference between personal power and granted authority is a significant distinction. Many people have the tendency to use the words authority and power interchangeably; however, these terms refer to two very different aspects of leadership.
It is often the case that a Board of Directors, whether it is for a Fortune 500 company or a local non-profit, has to recruit and evaluate candidates for the position of CEO or President. When asked what they are looking for during this selection process, the most common answer is leadership. But why do they look for a candidate with leadership skills and how do they determine if that candidate will be an effective leader. Most importantly, they are looking for a person who can accomplish tasks and achieve results. Let’s consider that way first and then two models for determining an individual’s leadership ability.… 
Surveys of employees often ask what is the one attribute they look for in an effective leader. Trust always near the top of the list. Whether you are a manager, supervisor, salesman or team lead it is important to be trusted by those you deal with on a regular basis. Once that trust is lost, it is difficult to impossible to regained.Here are some suggestions on building and maintaining trust.…