The patience of Job; the patience of a saint; a “fruit of the Holy Spirit”; a virtue. “He that have Patience, can have what he will,” predicted Poor Richard’s Almanack way back in 1736. As you might expect from that august build up, a lack of patience has also been associated with societal rot and […]
Patience
4 Ways to Get Better at Deferred Gratification
I work with a lot of young people getting started in their careers. Those who chase the highest possible starting salary, most prestigious title, or sexiest-sounding company do worse than those who ignore all of that and focus on value creation, no matter how humble. You are your best investment. There is no IRA, real […]
Why Hopeful Realism Beats Mandatory Optimism
One unavoidable piece of advice today is be positive. We’re supposed to filter out supposed negativity in meetings, reports, and general conversation because we think positivity produces the results we want. Optimism is almost mandatory in some environments. As Dan Lovallo and Daniel Kahneman point out, critical feedback is discouraged and treated like disloyalty. “The […]
How to Say No When it Counts
Sometimes you just have to say no. That isn’t always easy. But there are strategies that can help say no when you need to—and save your time, energy, and sanity in the process. Motivational speaker Byron V. Garrett, my former boss at National PTA, often says that you only have twelve hours a day to […]
What to Do When You Are Forced to Wait
I am good at a few things. But waiting is not one of them. In this post, I share five strategies I am currently using to cope in those situations where I don’t have a choice.
Why Leaders Cannot Afford to Be Easily Offended
As a leader, you are going to draw fire. People will criticize you. But the greatest leaders are not easily offended. Instead, they remember these three simple truths.
How to Develop the One Trait Essential for Success
Success has many determining factors, including dumb luck. But I’ve been thinking of one lately that’s largely indispensable and totally learnable—persistence. Have you ever felt like bailing on that one thing you know you’re supposed to do?
The Case for Slow Miracles
Just because miracles don’t happen instantaneously doesn’t mean they aren’t miracles. God does work in an instant. But this is the exception. Usually, He works over a long period of time.
The Number One Way Leaders Get Derailed
Recently, I wrote about how leaders must learn to handle criticism and overlook offenses. I think this is the number one way that leaders can get derailed and rendered ineffective.
Four Strategies for Responding to Poor Customer Service
Perhaps you’ve noticed: customer service has deteriorated noticeably since the recession began. Fewer waiters in restaurants. Slower room service in hotels. Longer wait times for support. This is hardly surprising. With significant layoffs in almost every industry, fewer people are available to provide the level of service you have come to expect. Here are four strategies for responding to poor customer service.