Taking Care of Your Business

Building the Life You Want

We recently hosted a social event for the members of my Vistage peer advisory groups at our home, and was giving a tour of the house to one of my members. He’s a professional home builder, who had never seen the house before.  As we went from room to room he was effusive in his praise—the design, the materials, the craftsmanship.  This got me thinking about what happens every month in my peer advisory group meetings: we help leaders “build the life they want.”  For the leaders I work with, financial success in itself is not enough: they want more.   In this blog you’ll learn five other things beyond  a flourishing business that motivate my members, as they engage in the important work of “building the life they want.”

Harsh Conditions On Top of Cadillac Mountain

During a recent visit to Acadia National Park in Maine, I went to the top of Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the eastern seaboard.  The views are absolutely breathtaking!  And the conditions can be absolutely brutal.  At the top there is a sign that says, “unique plants grow in extreme conditions.”  And it got me thinking about the extreme conditions that I see in the unique leaders I work with.  In this blog you’ll learn about three of the most common challenges I find among the high performing CEOs I work with.  You’ll also learn about the adaptations they’ve discovered they need to make in order to thrive.

Taking a Cue from the Lowly Oyster

For the last year or so I’ve been growing my own oysters. It’s one small way for me to contribute to the health of the waterways that surround me where I live on Long Island. I’m learning a lot about oysters and oyster farming. And I’m also learning a new perspective on leadership. In this blog you’ll learn some fun facts about oysters—e.g. one oyster filters 50 gallons of water a day!—and also how their important role as a “keystone” species in maritime ecosystems is a reminder of the huge role business leaders play in upholding the vitality and resilience of the communities they serve.

In Memoriam: Celebrating a Life Well Lived

An important mentor of mine for over 35 years recently died. I’ve been reflecting on the qualities that shined brightly through his life, and the impact he had on me, especially during one of the most challenging periods of my life. In this episode you’ll learn about four enduring leadership principles that continue to have extraordinary meaning for me. You’ll also learn about my friend and mentor Tom Russo, a force of nature, whose influenced rippled out to hundreds—if not thousands—of people. In his 98 years on this earth, he truly exemplified a “life well lived.”

Hiring Smarter, Growing Stronger: A Talent Strategy Talk with Susie Japs

Join me for a candid LinkedIn Live interview with Susie Japs, founder of Wejungo and a nationally recognized leader in talent strategy. With 100+ companies under her belt, Susie knows what it takes to attract, hire, and retain exceptional talent—even during downturns and crises.If you're rethinking your workforce strategy or looking for fresh ideas to stay competitive, this is the conversation for you. 

What Does Your Presence Convey To Others?

In this video you’ll learn about executive presence, what it is and why it matters for leadership effectiveness.  I recently returned from Santa Fe, New Mexico where I visited the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum.  O’Keeffe is well known as the artist who created the painting that commanded the highest price ever by a female artist: $44M in 2014.  What I didn’t know about her until I visited the museum is that at her prime in the 1930s she was one of the most photographed women in the US, recognizable to millions and millions of Americans.   Most of the museum was dedicated to her paintings, but there was a small room containing some of the photographs of her.  Her powerful image jumps off the wall, and draws you in.  Confident.  Composed.  Authentic.  But executive presence isn’t just about how you look.  Listen in, to find out the other secret ingredients of a strong presence. 

Member Interview: Phil Kouffman

For three generations, Phil Kouffman has crafted some of the most exquisite dream homes in the Hamptons. He provides a full spectrum of professional construction services for the East End, including custom homes, spec building, design-build, major renovations and commercial construction.Join us for a conversation about his work and what led him to Vistage Worldwide, Inc.!

Are You Leveraging the Power of Your Peers?

There’s something magical about gathering around a small campfire on a chilly night with friends.  My most memorable campfire experience took place next to a lake on a retreat several years ago in the Berkshire Mountains with the members of my CEO peer advisory group.  That evening each person took turns sharing an artifact, a physical object, that had special meaning for them.  It was remarkable.   There were tears and laughter and long silences.  We learned things about each other that we otherwise never would have learned.  In this blog you’ll learn what created the conditions for such an extraordinary evening, which displayed the power of peers. 

Is It Time For You to Do a Pre-Mortem?

I’ve heard it said that “nothing focuses the mind like contemplating your own death.”  Ron Shaich, the entrepreneur and former owner of Panera, has been doing this every year for the last two decades.  Contemplating his own death!  In this video you’ll learn more about what Shaich calls his “favorite annual ritual.”  It’s the most productive—and inspiring—thing he does all year.  You’ll also learn how to put this idea into action for yourself, to get things right with the grand project that is your life and your work.  It might just be the most important and productive thing you do this year too. 

What's Your Why?

At a recent party someone asked me, “What do you do?” And she followed up with this: “Why do you do it?” The first question I get alot. But the second one—the “why”—got me thinking about my journey. I came to realize that the things that have had the greatest impact on me as a leader are not what you might expect: my parents’ roots and the activities I did as a kid; two elections in school; the insight not to be intimidated—nor seduced—by prestige; and what I learned from firing an entire Board of Directors and navigating a $120 million financial fraud. In this podcast you’ll learn a little about me, about what I do, and most importantly, why I do it. Perhaps these reflections on my journey will prompt you to think about your own.