We’re wondering when this will all be over. Fair question. But I’d hope we’re also thinking about what we’ve learned that we want to keep, and what we had before that we don’t want back. Do we want to return to soul-destroying commutes, or can we travel less to work and make any travel that […]
Purpose
What do you want to rebuild?
We’ve been forced into an opportunity. Top of mind for every CEO is team, then cash flow. Maintain sales and payment, and control cost. Rightly so. No cash flow, no business. But unless you’re planning to rebuild a business that just goes from hand to mouth, you also need to be thinking about strategy. And […]
Leaders grow fastest in service of something far bigger than themselves
My times of most significant growth at work always came when I was serving something bigger. Turning around a very dispirited team, the most obvious thing for me was to put myself in their service. And to do it in action, not just in words. It wasn’t some grand sacrifice – it was simply what […]
When is it enough?
One of the truly beautiful consequences of building a company serving a purpose bigger than itself is that the enormity of the mission can free you from unhealthy personal or financial ambition. When you build with a deep rooted desire to make a difference, a dent in something you care deeply about, then having more […]
Don’t build a business to sell
A lot of early-stage startups that I meet want to talk about their exit strategy. They spend a lot of time figuring out how to build a company that they can sell for a good price. If exit is your goal (and remember it may not be the only way to build something that meets […]