Posts by Mark Morgan Ford
The Loyalty Conundrum
“Leaders are leaders only as long as they have the respect and loyalty of their followers.” – Hans Selye Here’s a question I’ve wrestled with for years: When it comes to success, is loyalty a good quality or a bad one? Should you be loyal to those who have been there for you? If so,…
Read MoreCatching the Upswing on Men’s Underwear
“Provided a man is not mad, he can be cured of every folly but vanity.” – Jean-Jacques Rousseau It took Steven Lien only 30 days to turn a profit. His idea for a new retail store had been ridiculed by experts and mocked by friends. “Everyone was like, ‘There’s no way that will work,’” he…
Read MoreHow to Defeat the Insidious Green Monster
“The envious man thinks that if his neighbor breaks a leg, he will be able to walk better himself.” – Helmut Schoeck ETR reader Greg A. wants to know how to deal with “family or friends that seem to want you to fail… if a great break in your plan to future success happens, and…
Read MoreSo You Want to Be an Artist?
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” – Pablo Picasso I got a nice letter from LB, a 78-year-old man from Pacific Palisades, CA who spent most of his career working in film and video production, with many excellent credits. In more recent years, he took up digital still photography and…
Read MoreGet Ahead in Business… With or Without an MBA
“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing.” – Abraham Lincoln Kelly, a recent college graduate, wrote to me after reading Automatic Wealth for Grads… and Anyone Else Just Starting Out. She explained that she’s been giving serious thought to my recommendation that young people…
Read MoreThe Critical Step You Must Take Before Pushing Your Big Idea Forward
“Leadership can be thought of as a capacity to define oneself to others in a way that clarifies and expands a vision of the future.” – Edwin H. Friedman You have an idea about how your business can do something new or better. You have run that idea through a gauntlet of trusted colleagues, individuals…
Read MoreThe Unpleasant Truth About Asking for Favors
“That man is worthless who knows how to receive a favor, but not how to return one.” – Titus Maccius Plautus I recently intercepted a memo from a partner of mine. It appeared to be a nothing-much memo regarding a not-all-that-important request for a favor from a business associate – but I intervened because I…
Read MoreAn Ultimate Objective of Your New Business
“Outstanding people have one thing in common: an absolute sense of mission.” – Zig Ziglar Prominent businessmen have long touted excellence as the ultimate corporate objective. And maybe it is – for Fortune 500 companies, that is. But most of the successful small-business owners I’ve known have grown their companies by pursuing something else. Of…
Read MoreTeenagers – Smarten Up and Work Hard
“If you want to recapture your youth, just cut off his allowance.” – Al Bernstein More 16- to 19-year-old kids are spending the summer studying this year than last – 37.6 percent compared to 36.5 percent, according to the Department of Labor. Some are even forgoing summer jobs, USA Today reports, to better prepare themselves…
Read MoreWhen to Use Positive Thinking
“A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.” – Herm Albright When my sons were growing up, I dreaded meeting with their teachers. I was always a tiny bit afraid that somewhere in the middle of the conversation the teacher would lean…
Read MoreAnatomy of a Master Idea Monger
“A good basic selling idea, involvement and relevancy, of course, are as important as ever, but in the advertising din of today, unless you make yourself noticed and believed, you ain’t got nothin’.” – Leo Burnett Have you seen the most recent infomercial by Kevin Trudeau? It’s the one in which he’s selling The Weight…
Read MoreStop Your Partners From Taking a Mile
“In almost every marriage there is a selfish and an unselfish partner. A pattern is set up and soon becomes inflexible, of one person always making the demands and one person always giving way.” – Iris Murdoch Being successful in business is often a result of the deals you make. As I said in ETR…
Read More