Best-Practices Leadership

How they do candor at Pixar

February 9, 2022
If you read business stories regularly, it’s hard not to happen upon some rabbit-hole tidbits about Pixar’s Braintrust. This much-discussed creative meeting tool of Pixar leaders is described by founding member Ed Catmull in his book, Creativity, Inc.

Got no solution? Then you have no startup

February 9, 2022
According to a study by CBS Insights, 95% of startups fail in the first 18 months, and 42% of them failed because there was no real market for the product. Experts say looking for solutions is more important than merely offering products or services.

Are you a tech influencer? (Spoiler alert: Yes!)

February 2, 2022
Sometimes, those filling administrative roles can feel pretty powerless. But you have more power than you realize.

Is it opportunity… or just another idea?

January 12, 2022
If you’re thinking of starting a business, you’re dealing with a lot of ideas and trying to sort through them. Here are some of author Tim Berry’s tips for separating ideas from opportunities.

Here’s how the Beatles did it… and why we just can’t

January 12, 2022
As we watched “Get Back,” the new documentary series chronicling the famous “Let It Be” recording sessions, we kept watching for little “tells” that indicated the secret to the Beatles’ creative magic.

Why aren’t people contacting us online?

January 12, 2022
The problem may be terrible contact forms.

How to manage projects, not just people

December 23, 2021
Many fine managers are good at interfacing with people and coaching them up, but behind their backs, you’ll hear whispers. In his book Project Management for Non-Project Managers, author Jack Ferraro outlines what a good project plan does.

Why it’s so hard for businesses to adapt

December 8, 2021
“We’ve been taught to believe that our capacity for imagination is reserved for artists and inventors,” writes Beth Comstock in her book Imagine It Forward. “The science on this is clear, however: Imaginative thinking is a universal human talent, an evolutionary gift handed down to us that has made us who we are, the undisputed champions of adaptation.”

Could your business introduce a 4-day workweek?

December 8, 2021
Hybrid working is here to stay, and when the pandemic finally ends, people will want more, not less, freedom. So, what could the next big change to hit the workplace be? Enter the four-day workweek.

4 ways to leverage your competition

December 8, 2021
So the competition is nipping at your heels. How do you slyly turn the tables? Author David Finkel describes a brainstorming session that came about during a coaching event. One business owner asked how to maintain her company’s lead in the market with the competition closing in. Finkel shares the best ideas the group came up with to help her company grow faster.