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Luck Isn’t a Variable we can Control
Luck is not a strategy we can depend on. It is a chaotic, non-random, yet unpredictable element rather than a manageable resource. A deal falls through and it was bad luck. Someone meets the right person at the right time and it was good luck. A business takes off, a career turns, a door opens,…
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Are you really ready?
The moment you say yes, you’re ready. At least, that’s the story we’ve been told. But what does ready actually mean? Most of us were raised on a traditional picture of readiness: It sounds responsible. It also keeps a lot of brilliance stuck at the starting line. The Myth of Traditional Readiness Traditional readiness is…
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The Visionary Who Forced Madison Avenue to Take Black Buying Power Seriously
Picture America in 1970. Corporate boardrooms were almost entirely white and male. Major advertisers on Madison Avenue—the nerve center of U.S. marketing—saw the “general market” as code for white consumers. Black households, though representing billions of dollars in purchasing power, were either ignored or caricatured. Into that landscape stepped Earl G. Graves Sr. Brooklyn-born to…
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Don’t give guidance, unless it is based on your knowledge & experience
There are three excuses we love using to avoid preparing methodically and thoroughly: I want to focus specifically on the third excuse: I KNOW HOW TO DO THIS. Years ago, when I was involved with AMWAY, I heard a speaker share the following: To know and not to do, is not to know In other…
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Are You Spending Your Days and Wasting Your Precious Time Doing Pseudo-Work?
“He’s not doing work…he’s doing the pretense of work.” This was the comment made by a visiting consultant after observing a then colleague of mine. The guy under scrutiny always looked busy, talked a good talk but accomplished very little. Pseudo-work – the illusion of actual work; to the untrained eye it looks as if…
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If Your Boss Told You “Today is Your Last Day,” How Prepared are You for this News?
Many of us dream of leaving our jobs…wishing. Whenever we get ticked off about something at work we fantasize about handing our boss this letter (taken from the prologue in Chris Guillebeau’s book – The $100 Startup: “Dear boss, I’m writing to let you know that your services are no longer required. Thanks for everything,…
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What Season are You in?
This is your time. This I know for sure. But you must first know the season you’re in. And yes, you need to think of your life as having seasons. It’s the best metaphor. I know some people who label their experiences in life as “….well it all comes down to the luck of the…
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Never Apologize (in this context)…
I’m reading Julia Child’s “My Life in France” with Alex Prud’homme. At a recent business event, I got up to make a comment. With my sore throat, I first apologized because my voice was hoarse. On getting back to my table, this woman who I had only met that morning said to me – “What…
Clarity BEFORE Execution. Structure BEFORE Speed
High-stakes decisions deserve disciplined thinking
You don’t need to move faster.
You need to reduce unnecessary risk.
When your decision affects income, reputation, or stability,
pause with structure before you act.
Giselle Hudson | Pre-Decision Advisory for Leaders Under Pressure 