"LEADERS - Bring it on!"

“Do or do not. There is no try.” ~ Yoda ~
What Successful Leaders Bring. I like to read the websites of venture capital and equity investment firms – where they expound on their successes. A recurring theme; Their team or the CEO they placed into an investment entity was able to bring leadership, execution and sales growth. Indeed, any chief executive can’t be seen as just the boss but as one who stimulates activity and brings fresh energy into a company. Decisiveness is often a keynote trait of leadership and such behavior from a newcomer is often mistaken as change for change sake. Not so.

Execution is staying with the strategy (making decisions along the way) and not being distracted by the day to day. Fresh energy is found in the readiness to make decisions. Further, successful companies are started by entrepreneurs who had a vision and passion for a product – that met a market need - and who had a burning passion to sell. Somewhere along the line that passion may get diffused with time and the hand-off to a sales force that may or may not possess that same initiating passion in product meeting market need. Successful leaders bring that passion and a talent for sustaining aggressive and market adaptive efforts. Markets change – you must change. This market HAS changed.

“The only time a man has the right to look down on another is when he is helping him to get up.” ~ Author Unknown ~

BOWLING FOR SUCCESS: To gauge the success or failure of a system implementation, culture shift or new practice; apply the Bowling Ball Test. If you have laid the proper groundwork, explained the reasons and goals, provided the resources for success, trained the people, delegated authority and established buy-in, your new initiative will roll on its own after the initial push. If not, it will behave like a bowling ball in the sand – push, push all you want but it won’t roll after you stop pushing.

- OBSERVANCES -
May is a month of special remembrance of sacrifice. We observe Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day and Mothers Day in May. My words are insufficient - so I offer these;


Motherhood ~ Joaquin Miller (1839-1913)


The bravest battle that ever was fought!
Shall I tell you where and when?
On the maps of the world you will find it not;
'twas fought by the mothers of men.

Nay not with the cannon of battle-shot,
with a sword or noble pen;
Nay, not with eloquent words or thought
from the mouths of wonderful men!

But deep in a walled-up woman's heart -
of a woman that would not yield,
but bravely, silently bore her part -
lo, there is the battlefield!

No marshalling troops, no bivouac song,
no banner to gleam and wave;
But oh! those battles, they last so long -
from babyhood to the grave.

Yet, faithful still as a bridge of stars,
she fights in her walled-up town -
Fights on and on in her endless wars,
then silent, unseen, goes down.

Oh, ye with banners and battle-shot,
and soldiers to shout and praise!
I tell you the kingliest victories fought
were fought in those silent ways.

O spotless woman in a world of shame,
with splendid and silent scorn,
Go back to God as white as you came -
the Kingliest warrior born!

Thanks Mom …


All the best!
Bill