“Press on: nothing in the world can take the place of perseverance. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." --... read more →

“If I had asked people what they wanted they would have said faster horses.” --Henry Ford As the leader of an organization who always wants to be on the cutting edge and serve with excellence, I am always looking for better or even new ways of doing things. I look... read more →

The 80/20 Rule There’s never enough time to do everything, but there’s always enough time to do the most important thing." Brian Tracy The 80/20 rule sounds like a mathematical formula and in some ways it is.  Don't fret, this isn't a lesson on statistics--I flunked that class in college.... read more →

"Great things in business are never done by one person, they are done by a team of people." --Steve Jobs I was on a call about three weeks ago with my mentor, Paul Martinelli, and I asked him what he does when he's stuck. He thought about it for awhile... read more →

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." --Oliver Wendall Holmes My husband suggested that I listen to a podcast titled, "What Do You Really Want," by Andy Stanley.  We were discussing creating our vision and Dennis thought this was... read more →

“For a president to select a political rival for a cabinet was not unprecedented; but deliberately to surround himself with all of his disappointed antagonists seemed to be courting disaster. It was a mark of his sincere intentions that Lincoln wanted the advice of men as strong as himself or... read more →

"Luck is what happens when opportunity and preparedness meet?"  --Roman Writer Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca and his dad had the same name, hence adding "the Younger" helped to distinguish them from each other, in case you were wondering.) This time of the year, the squirrels get incredibly busy... read more →

“The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority. ” --Ken Blanchard Many people don't know, or are not aware, that the key to leadership is influence. Everyone wants to have influence. Think about it. If we want to effect change, like even getting our children to brush their... read more →

“Outstanding people have one thing in common:  An absolute sense of mission. ” --Zig Ziglar I'm reading a book by Peter Drucker, "Five Most Important Questions." In the chapter on mission statements, he discusses organizational mission statements thoroughly. While writing this book in 2015, Drucker noticed that not much was... read more →

“The art and science of asking questions is the source of all knowledge. ” --Thomas Berger Leadership is about influence and relationships.  When the leadership level is high, the leader is able to cast the vision, set the strategy and because of the leader’s influence, the followers follow. If the... read more →