Motivation. I’m struggling with it at the moment. Today is not the best day to write about motivation, […]
Category Archive: Quote of the Week
“Whenever you do a thing, act as if all the world were watching” – Thomas Jefferson
What are you going to do with the new year? What are your resolutions? Do you plan on making change happen in your life? If so, let me encourage you to apply this principle I instilled into my life last year. Always do everything in such a way that you do not have to worry about someone finding out
“There are five dangerous faults which may affect a general: (1) Recklessness, which leads to destruction; (2) cowardice, which leads to capture; (3) a hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults; (4) a delicacy of honor which is sensitive to shame; (5) over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble. These are the five besetting sins of a general, ruinous to the conduct of war.” -Sun Tzu “The Art of War”
I recently wrote an article based on a quote on Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” and here I am doing it again. What can I say other than I have noticed that on occasion an individual can write down an idea that seems to transcend time and culture. This seems to be the case again with Sun Tzu and his 5 Disastrous Faults of a General. “The Art of War” has been studied for centuries for both its application to warfare as well as the use of its principle in business. Though the 5 Disastrous Faults were written about over 2,000 years ago, they still apply in the present era. Here is a list of Sun Tzu’s 5 Disastrous Faults of a General and how you can avoid them to maintain effective leadership.
If you have been in a leadership role for any amount of time you should realize by now that there is no efficient way in which you can create significant change alone. You may have some fantastic ideas and even build momentum in executing the initial steps of your plans, but you need other like-minded people to come together in order to see great things through to completion. This group of individuals is central to your success in making lasting positive change in our culture. Great leaders understand that they CAN’T do it alone.
Last week I learned the meaning of Benjamin Franklin’s quote “One today is worth two tomorrows.”. Well, I suppose it was more like getting hit by a freight train than a simple lesson learned. Here’s what happened:
As I write this I’m thinking about my place in the world. I’ve been taking time lately to think on the following questions:
What influence do I hold?
Who listens to me?
Who has power over me?
Do I matter?
“Ambition beats genius 99% of the time.” -Jay Leno
What is the defining factor that sets the most successful among us apart from the rest? Some might say that the winners of the proverbial rat race are lucky. Others may claim that those who seem to have reached their dreams are really great with people. Still, more
“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.” -Rosa Parks
What is it that you want right now? There is an abundance of time, money, and notoriety out there for you to go and take if you have the work ethic or right idea, so why aren’t you quitting your job right now and doing what you have always dreamed of being able to do?
“Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.” -Minor […]
“A wise man ought always to follow the paths beaten by great men, and to imitate those who have been supreme, so that if his ability does not equal theirs, at least it will savour of it.” -Machiavelli, The Prince
If you consider yourself a leader, whether in business or as a public figure, you have to constantly engage in personal growth and change in order to be effective in overcoming obstacles and inspiring others to improve. You have be moving constantly in some direction to be successful at accomplishing the goals that you have set. I’ve often heard it put this way: “You can never stand still in life, you are either gaining ground or losing it.” So I ask you this question, who
commonchap 