Posts by Early To Rise
Why So Many Business Meetings Fail
A successful meeting — one in which good decisions get made and are then implemented — has four characteristics: 1. Openness: The outcome is not predetermined. The person running the meeting does not hog the podium. Everyone feels free to speak. 2. Candor: There is a willingness to discuss the unpleasant things, to air the…
Read MoreAre You a Workaholic?
“If I had more time, I’d have more fun,” we tell ourselves. Or, “If I had more time, I’d knit/paint/write a novel/fill in the blank.” Time is an equal opportunity provider. Every one of us, regardless of age, sex, race, or religion, has the same 24 hours a day. How we use those hours determines…
Read MoreThe Customer Is – And Always Will Be – King
Leadership Strategies used the following story as an example to try to make a case that customers “aren’t always right”: “When Citizens Financial Group CEO Larry Fish heard that a customer had treated one of his tellers poorly, he called the customer and suggested that she close her account. Although the customer had $172,000 deposited…
Read MoreThe Richest Man in Babylon, Part 4
Harry and I couldn’t help discussing wealth and poverty. After all, he is a government executive in charge of aiding poverty-stricken Third World countries. I’m a private businessman who writes about wealth building. And we were spending the week at my home in Nicaragua, the second-poorest country in Latin America. Harry talked about the enormous…
Read MoreThe Richest Man in Babylon, Part 3
As we said on Tuesday, it’s almost impossible to build wealth unless you develop the habit of saving. And to do that, you have to “pay yourself first.” That’s what David Bach’s book “The Automatic Millionaire” is all about — and it is the lesson Bansir and Kobbi learned from Akard in the second chapter…
Read MoreThe Richest Man in Babylon, Part 2
In the second chapter of “The Richest Man in Babylon,” we meet Arkad, “far and wide famed for his great wealth. He was generous in his charities . . . with his family . . . in his own expenses . . . but nevertheless each year his wealth increased more rapidly than he spent…
Read MoreTo Whom Do You Owe Your Loyalty
“I’ll take 50% efficiency to get 100% loyalty.” – Samuel Goldwyn I am a big believer in firing weak employees and replacing them with strong performers — and yet, I never fired anyone who was loyal to me, even if he was underperforming, making mistakes, or even goofing off. I will criticize a loyal…
Read MoreSimplifying Your Life is About Having More
If you think simplifying your life will mean making less money, enjoying less success, maybe even being less effective as a businessperson, think again. Simplifying your life is about having more — not less — of the good things. More productivity. More passion. More meaning, love, friendship, serenity, etc. You can have more of those…
Read MoreWhat Do You Do With a “Bad Apple” Employee?
“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” – Winston Churchill If you have an employee with a bad attitude, what do you do? If he is a weak performer, the answer is easy: “Get rid of him right away. But what if he’s very good at what he does? Your business might…
Read MoreHave a Guilt-Free Vacation This Summer
“I hate vacations. There’s nothing to do.” – David Mamet For at least 20 years running, I hardly took time off at all — and when I did, I spent at least half the day working. In retrospect, I see the error of my ways. By indulging the notion that my business couldn’t get…
Read MoreHow to Accomplish Your Greatest Goal
As I write this message, I’m looking out over my second-story balcony at a spectacular sight. As far as I can see, there is nothing but waves smashing on pink-sand beaches . . . steep, breathtaking cliffs . . . and rolling green hills. Sitting here in my second home, I can’t think of any…
Read MoreTired of Talking About How Your Life Could Be Better?
“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” – Winston Churchill Do you dream of quitting your current job and striking out on your own? Of starting some new business? Something meaningful and engaging and . . . well . . . hell . . . why not downright enriching? I…
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