
How did a young man from Cocoa Beach, Fla.—a place not known as a surfing haven—become the greatest surfer of all time? Luck? No, unbelievable drive and determination. Read More.
Don't let age considerations slow you for even a minute. This week, sportsman Yuichiro Miura reached the peak of Mount Everest for the third time, even after undergoing heart surgery in January. At 80, he is the oldest person to have scaled the mountain—though Nepalese climber Min Behadur Sherchan, who got to the top at age 76, is even now readying for another go.
Ask my team and they will tell you I am full of (too many?) new ideas, and ask me and I will tell you that we don’t always innovate as much as I would like. Thinking about this paradox on a flight yesterday led me to look squarely at me. After all, if we aren’t innovating as much or as effectively as I’d like, the burden of changing that starts with me.
Q. I have attended negotiation training sessions that have stressed the importance of thorough preparation, but I have difficulty following through on this advice. Whenever I am facing an important negotiation, I resolve to gather information and plan my strategy beforehand. Yet I inevitably fall behind and end up feeling underprepared. Do you have any advice to help keep me on track?
Q: "I have a co-worker who is very moody. Whenever I ask about one of her projects or suggest a way to do things more efficiently, 'Andrea' gets snippy and starts muttering under her breath. If I ask what’s wrong, she replies, 'Nothing,' then has a bad attitude for at least an hour. How can I confront her about her attitude problem?" Aggravated Co-worker
Engage others and orchestrate a lively dialogue by blending four types of questions.
Almost all U.S. tire dealers offer wheel alignments as an additional service. But not Discount Tire Company. Bruce Halle, its 82-year-old chairman, insists that by keeping his business simple—it just sells tires and wheels—he can maximize value for customers and establish a more distinctive brand.
Research shows that employees’ “best days” occur when they make progress on projects viewed as “meaningful” to their employer’s mission. If they feel that they are contributing to bottom-line success, they become more driven to excel.
Leaders need to pay close attention to their management income statement, or “natural P&L,” the cornerstone for managing any organization. Every organization is unique, so every statement needs to vary slightly, but what all good management reports have in common are characteristics that make them useful.