“You ain’t going nowhere, son. You ought to go back to drivin’ a truck.” What if Elvis believed this Grand Ole Opry manager’s critique after his 1954 performance? Or if the Beatles listened in 1962 when Decca Recording Company responded, “We don’t like their sound. Groups of guitars are on the way out.” What if Rudyard Kipling...

Bill and Becky operated a bakery and sandwich shop called Wholegrain Bakery. Customers lined up early each morning to purchase bagels, muffins, croissants, bread, and other goodies, but the bakery’s highly profitable specialty items—outstanding cakes and desserts—didn’t sell very well. Although they produced great products, Bill and Becky...

One of the key components to effective leadership is setting expectations for those who follow you. You’ve heard it before; people will, most of the time, rise to a level of performance/behavior that is set for them. In that light, what expectation are you setting? Some key points to consider: Does your team hear you cast your expectations...

Every day we hear about people making radical career changes. The opportunities exist, but will all these changes make us any happier once we get there? Maybe the question is not "how can I get the job I'll love?", but "how can I love the job I have?" Following are four practical steps towards coming to terms with why you do what you're doing. Take...

Mark, a young account manager for an electronics manufacturer, struggled to make sales until his manager took him aside and explained that his use of “hip” expressions caused him to lose credibility with customers. “We are selling high-tech products that cost $5,000 or more, and customers don’t always understand the technology. When you sound...