“What gets us into trouble is not what we don’t know. It’s what we know for sure that just ain’t so.” – Mark Twain Each year I read approximately 30 books for the pure pleasure of creating in my imagination the sights and sounds and smells of the world that the author has created in…
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Recently, I had the pleasure of sitting down to talk with Thom Coats of The Unstuck Business Academy for their “Stories from the C|Suite” podcast. Thom is a wonderful host and we had a lot of fun talking about everything from camping and hiking, to professional development, to effectively managing SQL Server infrastructures. Here’s a…
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It’s what you learn after you know it all that really counts. – John Wooden As an avid reader and life-long learner, this quote by Coach John Wooden really speaks to me. I don’t want to wax too philosophical here, but life is a journey and we owe it to ourselves and those we influence…
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“I’m stuck. How can I get the experience I want when my current role doesn’t provide the opportunity I need?” That question haunted me some twenty years ago while I was in the early stages of building The SERO Group. I wanted more experience to better serve my clients and to better understand how to…
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Imagine for a moment being a naval explorer from antiquity. You set sail from the Old World, plotting a course that will take you across the vast and deep sea toward your foreign destination. The trip will be long and wrought with dangers. Headwinds will hinder your progress. Crosswinds will blow you off course. Storms will rise,…
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Because I said so!” Ever hear that growing up? I certainly did on more than one occasion, typically when I had exhausted my parent’s patience with me. Unfortunately, many IT Leaders adopt this behavior as part of their leadership style. What most don’t realize is that using the dictator style of management doesn’t bring out the best in your…
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Hiring the wrong person is costly. There are the hard costs associated with the search as well as delayed projects, lowered morale, and expensive employee benefits. Yet many companies do not have a well-defined and comprehensive interviewing process. They leave it up to individual managers to make hiring decisions while neglecting to provide sufficient…
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In football, the quarterback is the de facto leader of the offense of team. Late in the game it is to him that the team looks to snatch a last minute come-from-behind victory from certain defeat. That’s a lot of weight to put on one man’s shoulders. Yet the quarterback is leading his team in…
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Whether you lead a large IT organization or you lead a small group of dedicated volunteers, there are four questions every follower will ask according to Dr. Lorne Sonny in the Business Ministry Journal as noted in Hans Finzel’s The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make (I couldn’t find a direct reference to Dr. Sonny’s work) They…
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A better title on the business card. A little more take home pay each week. And automatic influence and credibility in the organization. These are the things that we get while climbing the corporate ladder, right? Umm, no. Authority Is Not Influence Many leaders assume that one of the automatic perks that comes with their…
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