leadership Archives - Page 36 of 44

Are You a Real Leader? Here’s One Test

For fifteen years, I produced a sketch comedy TV show in Seattle, Washington. And for fifteen years, I was routinely asked the question, “What, exactly, does the producer actually do?” Many times, this question was asked by my mother. My stock answer was this:

“The producer is the person who apologizes the following day.”

As hilarious as this answer might be [How hilarious? On a scale from 1 to 10…about a 4], it’s only partially in jest. The producer is the person ...

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20
DEC
2009

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Leadership, The Beatles, Work Ethic

Beatles, Beatles expert, Bill Stainton, business integrity, ceo, keynote speaker, leadership, leadership training, making decisions, professional speaker, running a business, running your business, work ethic

Do You Know What Your “Real” Business Is?

Posted by: Bill Stainton

A couple of nights ago I made sauteed chicken breasts for dinner, with a white wine pan sauce to make it a little more interesting. Briefly, here’s how you make a pan sauce (and yes, I promise this is going somewhere): you add a quarter cup of wine and a quarter cup of chicken broth to the pan, perhaps with a bit of mustard, and then boil it until the half-cup of liquid is reduced down to a total of ...

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15
DEC
2009

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Communication, Creativity, Customer Service, Leadership

Beatles, Beatles expert, Bill Stainton, branding, competition, creative ideas, customer service, innovation, innovative thinking, keynote speaker, leadership, leadership training, professional speaker, running a business, running your business, small business, small business success

The #1 Skill Warren Buffett Says You Need

Posted by: Bill Stainton

I just finished watching a town meeting with Bill Gates and Warren Buffett that was taped at Columbia Business School last month. The entire meeting was immensely illuminating, but I was fascinated by one thing Warren Buffett said. Before I get to that, let me say that both Mr. Buffett and Mr. Gates were exceedingly optimistic about the future of our country and our economy. [You, at your cynical best: “Yeah, I’d be optimistic too if I were worth $50 ...

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11
DEC
2009

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Communication, Leadership, The Beatles, Videos

Beatles, Bill Stainton, communication skills, competition, keynote speaker, leadership, leadership training, professional speaker, small business, small business success, Warren Buffett

Are You In the “No” Business?

Posted by: Bill Stainton

There’s a little Italian restaurant near my home where I go when—well, when I want to eat Italian food. Duh. So I was there the other evening (because I wanted to eat Italian food), and the hostess was seating an elderly couple. I wasn’t really paying attention, but apparently they asked if they could be seated closer to the window. The hostess very nicely explained that that wasn’t possible, for some reason that I didn’t catch. But the owner, who ...

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30
NOV
2009

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Customer Service, The Beatles, Work Ethic

attitude, Beatles, Bill Stainton, customer service, exceeding expectations, keynote speaker, leadership, professional speaker, running a business, running your business, sales, work ethic

Are You Playing to Your Strengths?

Posted by: Bill Stainton

Why do we spend so much time focusing on the things we don’t do well? Honestly, we beat ourselves up all the time. It seems that no matter how many things we’re good at, we choose to dwell on the weaknesses:

Alan (despondently): I just can’t hang pictures. Look at these. They’re all crooked. I’m going to kill myself.

Kari: Are you crazy? You’ve won a Nobel Peace Prize, cured swine flu, and you’re currently starring in the ...

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10
AUG
2009

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Creativity, Leadership, Teams, The Beatles

attitude, Beatles, Bill Stainton, keynote speaker, leadership, leadership training, play to your strengths, playing to your strengths, professional speaker, running a business, running your business, small business, small business success, team building, teambuilding, teamwork

Why You Need More Pain in Your Life

Posted by: Bill Stainton

I attended a workshop yesterday at my local Mac store, and the conversation turned to iPhones. This was pretty inevitable, because we were surrounded by the bloody things; still, it turned out that one attendee, whom I’ll call Cheswick because it’s a funny name, had not yet made the switch. He fully intended to, but said, “I guess I just haven’t reached my pain point with my current provider yet.”

I’ve been thinking about that, and it occurs to me that ...

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8
AUG
2009

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Change, Producing Results, Sales, The Beatles

Beatles, Bill Stainton, change, competition, keynote speaker, leadership, leadership training, leading through change, professional speaker, running a business, running your business, small business, small business success

Why You Need to See Other People

Posted by: Bill Stainton

I think you need to see other people.

I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with your current relationship, or your current colleagues, or your current friends. I just think you need to see other people. We all do. Because if we keep interacting with the same people—just the same people—we’re going to keep hearing the same points of view, and sameness is the mortal enemy of innovation. Just this morning in Indiana, President Obama said, “The United States led the world’s ...

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5
AUG
2009

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Change, Creativity, Producing Results, The Beatles

Beatles, Bill Stainton, creativity, innovation, innovative thinking, keynote speaker, leadership, leadership training, professional speaker, running a business, running your business, small business, small business success

Back in the Saddle Again

Posted by: Bill Stainton

I haven’t blogged in over a week. Nor have I Tweeted, Facebooked, or LinkedIn. I’ve fallen off my self-imposed schedule. Part of this is for good reason: I’ve been meeting with colleagues face-to-face, in Phoenix, Denver, and Breckenridge. Social media is great, but nothing will ever beat getting together with colleagues over a glass of wine or a couple of beers and talking shop. So that’s the good reason. The bad reason is that I got lazy. I got used ...

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3
AUG
2009

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Communication, Producing Results, The Beatles, Work Ethic

attitude, Beatles, Bill Stainton, keynote speaker, leadership, leadership training, productivity, professional speaker, running a business, running your business, work ethic

Why This Business Made the Sale

Posted by: Bill Stainton

I guess I’m getting a new roof. I don’t want to get a new roof, but I guess I’m getting one. I mean, I know I’ve needed a new roof. My neighborhood, and therefore my house, is 20 years old, and most of my neighbors have already replaced their roofs. I’ve been holding out because I’d rather spend my money on candy and ice cream. Still, in the past two or three years I’ve received dozens, possibly hundreds, of flyers ...

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23
JUL
2009

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Communication, Customer Service, Sales, The Beatles

Beatles, Bill Stainton, business sales, competition, customer service, exceeding expectations, keynote speaker, leadership, professional speaker, running a business, running your business, sales, small business, small business success

How to Create Fiercely Loyal Customers

Posted by: Bill Stainton

A colleague and I were comparing cell phones yesterday. Mine is an iPhone and hers is, well, not an iPhone. I asked her how she liked her phone, and she said, “It’s fine, I guess. No complaints. It gets the job done.” Then she asked me how I liked my iPhone, and I practically yelled out, “I love my iPhone!” If you’re an iPhone user, you know what I mean. iPhone users love their phones, and they’re fiercely loyal. It’s ...

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20
JUL
2009

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Creativity, Customer Service, The Beatles, Work Ethic

Beatles, Bill Stainton, customer loyalty, customer service, fiercely loyal customers, keynote speaker, leadership, leadership training, professional speaker, running a business, running your business, small business, small business success