mount rushmore

George Washington On Stepping Down

February 17, 2020

September 19, 1796: Friends and Fellow Citizens: The period for a new election of a citizen to administer the executive government of the United States being not far distant, and the time actually arrived when your thoughts must be employed in designating the person who is to be clothed with that important trust, it appears […]

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Playing the Background

February 10, 2020

I recently promoted someone on our team to becoming the new Vice President of Sales. What this means for me personally is that I am no longer going to be as active in the day-to-day activities of the sales team. Because of this new reality, here are three shareable leadership ideas – as it relates […]

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A Leader’s Words

February 3, 2020

The day after noticing that one of our plants had too many parts on the floor, and mentioning that observation to our plant managers, I saw an entirely changed environment. The plants were organized, the parts were contained, and things were back to normal. One plant in particular had made significant progress. So, I decided […]

writing memorial to kobe bryant

Special Post – Thoughts on Kobe, Grief, and Hope

January 30, 2020

Sometime during the spring of 1993 my dad took our French exchange student, the French exchange student’s girlfriend, and myself to a Bulls vs. Pistons game at the old Chicago Stadium. After a memorable three-hour dive downtown —thirty of which the two love birds “made out” in my dad’s back seat (priceless memory), we witnessed […]

alex hoffer

3 “Pivots” for 2020

January 27, 2020

Pivot (v): To turn. Synonyms are “depend, hinge, turn, swivel.” This is not a post about resolutions. Rather, it is a post about becoming the kind of person I want to become. I am sharing how I am pivoting to encourage you to do likewise. The reason for the pivot is simple: Starting with the […]

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What I learned from Solitude Yesterday (Subscribers Post)

January 23, 2020

In the cue of upcoming posts, I write about a few changes that I am making in 2020. One of the changes is adopting a “Rule of Life,” which I explain in more detail then. For now, think of it is a list of self-guidelines for your daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly activities that […]

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Want a promotion?

January 20, 2020

One of our team members was recently promoted to a leadership role. In a meeting explaining the role he was going to take on he said, “I like doing all the crap that nobody likes to do. That’s why I have always had a job.” Want a promotion? Do the work no one else wants […]

daily planner

Gamifying Time Management

January 13, 2020

One of my weaknesses is being too task-oriented. So, given the recent challenge of my Executive Coach, I have created a game in my planned around one-on-one meetings. Using my planner of choice, I record in real-time how I am spending my time. Remedial tasks, like email, get a simple dash (-) by them. These […]

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Deal or No Deal?

January 6, 2020

My Executive Coach recently presented me with a business opportunity: He said: “You have $2,000. I have $50.00. Do you want to trade?” Of course I don’t, I replied. “Then stop spending so much time on email, and other $50 tasks. You are a leader, and should be spending your time doing $2,000 tasks.” Message […]

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3 Focus Areas of Mental Health For 2020

January 2, 2020

Defined broadly, health encompasses the body, the mind, the soul, and even the emotions. To be someone worth following, you need to maintain quality overall health. This means all of the above. While I have definitive strategies around what I do to keep the body, the soul, and even the emotions, healthy; today’s post is […]