Have you ever wondered why sometimes your career or business is prosperous, while other times, you may struggle to survive? Recently, in my Bible study, I came across a verse that gave me a fresh perspective on the roller coaster ride of life.   King Solomon, the most prosperous man on earth, wrote in Ecclesiastes ...

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The story of Ezra and Nehemiah highlights the concept of a visionary and an integrator, a core premise to Gino Wickham’s book, Rocket Fuel.   Ezra had a vision for Jerusalem. He desired to turn Jerusalem into a vibrant community that knew God’s commands and lived by them.   For thirteen years, Ezra experienced some successes but ...

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In a 1967 sermon, Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Before I was a civil rights leader, I was a preacher of the Gospel. This was my first calling and it still remains my greatest commitment. You know, actually all that I do in civil rights I do because I consider it a part of my ...

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In this series we’re discussing the importance of leaders showing empathy to their team members from an article written by Jason Richmond in forbes.com.  Jason’s next suggestion is to be curious.  Charles is a task-focused manager who has not been very curious about the lives of his employees, resulting in poor ratings as a leader. ...

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In an article on forbes.com titled, Empathy as a Workplace Superpower, the author, Jason Richmond, notes the importance of leaders showing empathy to their team members.  Jason’s next suggestion in this series is to become an active listener.  Although I’m typically a good listener, I’m known to have a poker face making it hard for ...

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In an article on forbes.com titled, Empathy as a Workplace Superpower, the author, Jason Richmond, notes the importance of leaders showing empathy to their team members.   In this series, Jason’s second suggestion is to not just pay lip service.  Empathy goes further than just acknowledging someone’s pain. When possible, take tangible action to support any ...

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Empathy as a Workplace Superpower is an article posted on forbes.com. that references a study claiming that 63% of CEOs struggle with consistently demonstrating empathy. Yet, the top 7% of top performing companies claim that empathy is core to their culture.   Empathy is a quality we should embrace, but sometimes difficult to express.  The Oxford ...

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Jerry joined a new company division that pursued growth by offering products outside of the company’s traditional business lines. But excitement about this new initiative got ahead of results. The team spent lavishly on retreats, travel, and dinners to build teamwork and motivation long before the revenue appeared. Executives eventually closed the division when ...

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Doug, a former boss of mine, worked for the same company for over forty years. His strong work ethic, faithfulness, and loyalty allowed him to steadily climb the corporate ladder.  But when Doug reached the top of his department, he was more subject to the wrath and whims of the CEO, resulting in occasional mistreatment ...

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On January 20th the political pendulum appears to be preparing for a dramatic swing. For business leaders this change in direction can impact regulations, taxes, and even the mood of the marketplace.  Many business leaders would prefer predictability rather than dramatic shifts. Unpredictable change can become a distraction from focusing on the core aspects of ...

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