275 Years.
Last year, my sister found the following biographical data in our archives: “It is believed that Matthias Hoffer came to America seeking religious freedom. He came to America on the ship, “Loyal Judith” via Cowes and Rotterdam. He landed at Philadelphia on September 2, 1743. By trade he was a weaver of fancy over-lids, but […]
My “JOMO” Plan
I recently heard Jason Fried, CEO of Basecamp, talk about how he intentionally misses out on information so that he can increase his focus on matters of importance. Instead of the oft-used “FOMO” (Fear of Missing Out), Fried has coined the acronym “JOMO” (Joy of Missing Out) in its place. For example, Fried no longer […]
How I dealt with a recent failure…
I wanted to hide. I wanted to get away, or be anywhere but there. “There” was earlier this month at our golf club’s “Invitational Tournament.” I was playing with a friend. Like everyone else, I wanted to play my best at this event. But, as the event approached, I noticed a twitch in my hands. […]
I get scared sometimes too…
A month ago, Will (7 as of today!) called for Sarah from his bedroom upstairs. It was about ten minutes after he went to bed. The kids seem to always call for “mom,” which is not surprising, but I decided to give Sarah this time off. Up I went…. Will was not pleased to see […]
Be Quick To Listen
Writing to believers in the early Church, James wrote these words in the opening chapter of his letter: “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry” (James 1:19). I have been pondering these words a lot lately. Many of the leadership books I have read the last few years […]
Confessions About Mind Turds
I did not sleep well last night. I was thinking about the inefficiency of one of our departments, the leader’s lack of attention to it, and how I would fix it. I was thinking about our family’s jam-packed fall schedule and the pressure I feel to keep scheduling events. I was thinking about my own […]
Why Our ERP Implementation Went Well
We recently implemented a new ERP (enterprise resource planning) system. While the team continues to work on minor glitches, here are the reasons the implementation went well (and I had NOTHING to do with it!). 1. We hired an expert. Our strategic planning team decided the time had come to implement a new ERP system […]
Everyone Needs Friends (Including Leaders!)
One of the things that bugs me is how isolated we are becoming as a society. Don’t get me wrong—we assume that we are more connected than ever in the age of Facebooking, Fortnight gaming, and hosts of other ways to be “connected.” As adult business leaders, we all agree: kids relying on these forms […]