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Don’t Make Fear the Organizing Principle of Your Life
Today’s Strategic Alignment Journal post in two sentences: Fear does not always look like fear; sometimes it looks remarkably like preparation, responsibility, control or good judgment. The question may not only be what decision we are making, but how much fear is influencing the choice. Fear does not always show up in a way we…
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Keep Working On Your Thing Until Persuasion Becomes Unnecessary
Today’s Strategic Alignment Journal post in two sentences: Not everything valuable begins with knowing where it is going. Sometimes the work is to notice what keeps presenting itself, follow it without forcing an outcome, and know when you have taken it as far as you can. Rick Rubin is one of the most influential music…
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Stand for something publicly
Today’s Strategic Alignment Journal Post in two sentences: An organization’s values become meaningful when they begin to influence what it chooses, protects, refuses and is willing to sacrifice. Stand for something clearly enough and consistently enough, and eventually you will not have to tell people what matters to you because they will be able to…
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What Happens When You Build a Business on Partner Strengths Only and Not Character?
Today’s Strategic Alignment Journal post in two sentences: We often choose business partners for the strengths they bring, but strength tells us what someone can contribute while pressure reveals character. As the stakes rise, the more important question may be whether we have paid as much attention to who someone becomes under pressure as we…
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What clarity looks like when it is converted into action over time.
Today’s Strategic Alignment Journal post in two sentences: Warren Buffett did not wait for succession to become urgent before deciding what Berkshire Hathaway would need without him. For decades, he turned clarity into action, using each decision to make the next one easier when the time came. When should a leader begin thinking about succession?…
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A Confused Mind Always Says “NO”
Today’s Strategic Alignment Journal post in two sentences: A confused mind says “no” because confusion makes commitment difficult. If I cannot clearly understand what I am being asked to decide, why would I say yes? “A confused mind always says no” is an idea frequently used in sales and marketing. The premise is simple: when…
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“Fine” Can Be an Expensive Response
Today’s Strategic Alignment Journal post in two sentences: “Fine,” as a response to “How is business?”, is not evidence that the business is working well. Sometimes it simply means that nothing feels wrong enough to warrant a closer look, even as the cost of keeping things going continues to add up. “Fine” is an interesting…
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Worry is Cul-de-Sac Thinking
Today’s Strategic Alignment Journal post in two sentences: Worry keeps the mind engaged, circling possibilities, consequences and uncertainties without necessarily moving us forward. The challenge is recognising when our thinking is helping us understand what requires our attention and when we have reached a mental dead end. Worry can masquerade as serious thinking. We can…
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Non sine periculo: A sound business motto
Today’s Strategic Alignment Journal post in two sentences: Entrepreneurship is non sine periculo: risk comes with the territory. The discipline is to understand what you are risking, what could be gained or lost, and whether the risk is worth taking. Perhaps every person starting a business should be handed a crest with three Latin words…
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Something Being “Hard” is not a Diagnosis
Today’s Strategic Alignment Journal post in two sentences: Difficulty tells us that something requires attention, but it does not tell us what is causing it. Before deciding to persist or change direction, determine whether you are dealing with a constraint, a misalignment or simply a requirement of the path you have chosen. I recently read…
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