Simon Sinek
Listening is active. At its most basic level, it's about focus, paying attention.
Though there are lessons that can be learned about becoming a great leader, most exist inherently in the bellies of those who lead.
Babe Ruth was not afraid to strike out. And it was this fearlessness that contributed to his remarkable career.
Great leaders state out loud what they intend to do and in doing so, they get things done.
To operate based on conviction and belief requires an acceptance that your actions could get you fired. This is different from pig-headed bravado, and it is different from putting the company at risk.
At the end of the day, humans are social animals and we are at our best when we get to do things with others who appreciate and enjoy what we enjoy. It's what keeps us human.
Most politicians are not authentic.
Halloween is one of my favorite days of the year. I have a strict rule: I don't work on Halloween and I won't travel on Halloween. Not for any reason.
I love science fiction - always have.
I like stories of the classic hero, of good versus evil, the ones in which the good guys wear white and the bad guys wear black... and I love a good sword fight.
I have friends who are majorly into the cosplay culture and have urged me to go to a convention for no other reason than to meet others like me.
Entrepreneurs see the thing they want or need, then try to figure out a process of how to get it. People who shouldn't be entrepreneurs see the standard process they need to go through to get the thing they want or need then decide if they want to go through that process.
The U.S. Constitution protects our privacy from the prying eyes of government. It does not, however, protect us from the prying eyes of companies and corporations.
Multi-millionaires who pay half or less than half of the percentage of tax the rest of us pay justify their actions by saying they pay what the law requires. Though true, the fact is they found ways within the law to beat the purpose of the law - which, in the case of taxes, is that we all pay our fair share.
My concern is that we live in an economy in which stabbing someone and waiting for them to complain before we remove the knife has become the normal way of doing business. When did we lose sight of the fact that it's not nice to stab people in the first place?
The irony is, the advertising industry knows everyone hates what they produce. This is why they keep looking for new ways to force people to stay tuned.
The ad industry thinks their clients are their customers. They think the companies who pay for the production are the ones they are supposed to serve. So the ads they produce make their clients happy... but infuriate the rest of us.
Leave America and you'll find that the consumers in many other countries enjoy watching advertising. Not because the products are better, but because the ads are produced to be entertaining. Sometimes they are funny. Sometimes they are dramatic. Sometimes they are just beautiful.
There are two kinds of experts: academic experts and practical experts. One is not better than the other, but they are very different, and each offers very different value.
To become an academic expert takes years of studying. Academic experts are experts in how and what others have done. They use case studies and observation to understand a subject.
Academic experts may not be good at doing what they are experts in themselves, but they are good at explaining the subject matter to others. They write books, teach courses and offer lessons and give steps others can follow.
Believing that your competition is stronger and better than you pushes you to better yourselves.
The Democrats' response throughout the healthcare debate? Give the people more statistics.
A five minute call replaces the time it takes to read and reply to the original email and read and reply to their reply... or replies. And I no longer spend 20+ minutes crafting the perfect email - no need to.
Wal-Mart's size and scale is so vast they literally have the ability to change the face of the entire country. If Wal-Mart were to make a decision tomorrow to refuse to sell a single product made with partially hydrogenated oils, for example, we'd probably see rates from heart disease decline a few years later. That's how powerful Wal-Mart is.
I look for the hotels that have figured out the comfortable balance - a modern room that is well designed, and really clean sheets.
I think most people are inherently interested in how their brain works, in what makes them tick.
The goal is not to be perfect by the end. The goal is to be better today.Collection: Perfect
Most people think leadership is about being in charge. Most people think leadership is about having all the answers and being the most intelligent person or the most qualified person in the room. The irony is that it is the complete opposite. Leadership is about empowering others to achieve things they did not think possible. Leadership is about pointing in the direction, articulating a vision of the world that does not yet exist. Then asking help from others to insure that vision happens.Collection: Intelligent
A team is not a group of people that work together. A team is a group of people that trust each other.Collection: Inspirational
Working hard for something we don't care about is called stress; working hard for somthing we love is called passion.Collection: Inspirational
Leadership is not about being in charge. Leadership is about taking care of those in your charge.Collection: Care
The ability for a group of people to do remarkable things hinges on how well those people can pull together as a team.Collection: Team
No one knows everything. But together, we know a whole lot.Collection: Together
Authenticity is about imperfection. And authenticity is a very human quality. To be authentic is to be at peace with your imperfections. The great leaders are not the strongest, they are the ones who are honest about their weaknesses. The great leaders are not the smartest; they are the ones who admit how much they don't know. The great leaders can't do everything; they are the ones who look to others to help them. Great leaders don't see themselves as great; they see themselves as human.Collection: Imperfection
When we help ourselves, we find moments of happiness. When we help others, we find lasting fulfillment.Collection: Happy
The leaders who get the most out of their people are the leaders who care most about their people.Collection: People
We must all try to empathize before we criticize. Ask someone what's wrong before telling them they are wrong.Collection: Trying
The responsibility of leadership is not to come up with all the ideas but to create an environment in which great ideas can thrive.Collection: Responsibility
Words may inspire but only action creates change.Collection: Inspire
The hardest part is starting. Once you get that out of the way, you'll find the rest of the journey much easier.Collection: Journey
Always plan for the fact that no plan ever goes according to plan.Collection: Facts
If you sell what you do, you're a vendor. If you sell why you do it, you're a brand.Collection: Vendors
Listening is not understanding the words of the question asked, listening is understanding why the question was asked in the first place.Collection: Understanding
Focus on long term success but be willing to make short term adjustments to get thereCollection: Long
The value of our lives is not determined by what we do for ourselves. The value of our lives is determined by what we do for others.Collection: Determined
People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it and what you do simply proves what you believe.Collection: Life
Great companies don’t hire skilled people and motivate them, they hire already motivated people and inspire them. People are either motivated or they are not. Unless you give motivated people something to believe in, something bigger than their job to work toward, they will motivate themselves to find a new job and you’ll be stuck with whoever’s left.Collection: Jobs
People will do as they are told by someone who outranks them, but they will only follow someone they believe in.Collection: Believe