A common question that often surfaces is whether it is wise to hire family members or friends. Opinions are generally strong concerning this issue, and there seem to be as many on one side of the fence as the other. In many cultures business is largely based on relational lines — many even in the [...]

As an executive, you have lots of work to do. In fact, you have so much to do that it sometimes feels like you are chained to your desk. Visits away from your desk are generally purposeful, brief, and mission-focused so that you can get back to the piles at hand. Your team members, on [...]

Hiring a new or replacement employee is one of the most difficult decisions we have to make as managers. It also happens to be one of the most strategic and costly decisions as well. There are many ways to improve your chances of hiring well, but the simplest is to avoid the most common hiring [...]

Are you feeling a bit lonely at the top of your business? As a leader in your business, who can you turn to for trusted advice, perspective, experience, and accountability? When you have important decisions to make, who can you trust to check your thinking? Imagine having over a dozen peer company executives and leaders, [...]

Last month we looked at the eight critical functions of an effective nonprofit board. This article will focus on the various types of boards one often encounters and the type of board that is more effective for a given organization. Organizations go through stages of development, and their boards evolve as well, often belatedly. Since [...]

Recently I helped refinish a basement for a friend and kept lamenting the fact that I often didn’t have the right tool to effectively get the job done. It is frustrating knowing that the perfect tool exists but I can’t put my hands on it to do the job. But imagine how I’d feel if [...]