Mary Marshall I was recently revisiting an article in the Wall Street Journal by Bill Gates entitled “My plan to fix the world’s biggest problems…what’s missing is often good measurement and a commitment to follow the data…” Actually, I had to laugh when I read it because … Read more
The most successful entrepreneurs figure out early on that they are not alone, that they are not infallible and that they need people better than themselves to do certain things. However, we often have this vision of the entrepreneur as a superman or woman, slaying … Read more
At some point in our lives, we all have the opportunity to lead. Whether it is within our family, or a group of people, or simply our own lives, we all have the chance to step up into these shoes. With this honor comes a … Read more
I was very honored to learn that I was awarded the 2018 Small Business Champion of the Year award by the Small Business Administration. A celebration honoring local SBA winners from Washington state and the SBA Seattle District – which serves the state of Washington … Read more
Anyone who is not living on a desert island is bombarded daily with all the voices of our country’s leaders. Bombast, innuendo, accusations, criticisms, retorts, bullying, insults and YELLING are what we have become used to in the age of Twitter. Never before have national … Read more
There are a lot of ways to give employees bonuses based on individual performance and/or company performance. The way the President of United Airlines, Scott Kirby announced his new lottery system was really “innovative” – and not in a good way. Apparently, after extensive research … Read more
One of the mistakes that leaders make is to assume that anyone can be a manager. There’s what amounts to a myth out there that you can take your rising stars, best employees, and high potentials and put them into managerial roles and expect them … Read more
Good leaders know that inspiring people has a lot to do with focusing on the positive vs. the negative. Unfortunately, many of us are predisposed to focus on the negative and give it more worth or value than the positive. Alison Ledgerwood, a social psychologist … Read more
Leaders come in all shapes and sizes with different skill sets and with varying degrees of success. That being said, there are some classic models and leadership styles including Charismatic, Inspirational, Transformational, Transactional, Autocratic, Laissez-Faire, and Democratic. Most leaders are a combination of a couple … Read more
It’s hard to believe we’re already into February of 2018! And my hunch? You’ve probably barely had a chance to reflect on the strategic plan for the year, let alone craft one. Entrepreneur’s, in particular, are loath to take time out to create, review or … Read more