Posts Tagged With ‘ Common Sense ’

<img width="650" height="433" src="https://i0.wp.com/dougthorpe.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/admanity-103861715_l.jpg?fit=650%2C433&ssl=1" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin-bottom: 10px" data-attachment-id="21758" data-permalink="https://dougthorpe.com/sunday-sun-confessions-of-a-boomer-dad/cheerful-elderly-man-hugging-his-son/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/dougthorpe.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/admanity-103861715_l.jpg?fit=2508%2C1672&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2508,1672"... Continue Reading

The traditional career path of climbing the ladder in a corporate job may seem like a safe option, but in recent years, more and more people are choosing to take the leap and pursue entrepreneurship. While there are certainly challenges to starting your own business, the rewards can be significant, from being your own boss to having more control over your work-life balance. But before you make the move, it’s important to be sure that you’re really ready for the unique demands of entrepreneurship. In this post, we’ll explore what to think about when making the move from corporate to entrepreneur. Think... Continue Reading

After reading an article from Gino Wickman where he reflected on his mentors, I was immediately sent down memory lane looking back on mine. If you’ve followed my blog or paodcast for long, you likely have heard me tell the story of lifelong mentorship. Being raised the only child of a hard working single Mom, I had dozens of mentors. Mom had the wisdom to recruit and surround me with men who could help me grow. It became such an integral part of my life that I never feared reaching out to add mentors to my circle as the years went by. To this day, I can start doing something and recall one of... Continue Reading

<img width="650" height="433" src="https://i0.wp.com/dougthorpe.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/admanity-173657588_l.jpg?fit=650%2C433&ssl=1" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="peer to peer" style="margin-bottom: 10px" data-attachment-id="21626" data-permalink="https://dougthorpe.com/is-your-brand-message-doing-what-it-needs-to-be-doing/diverse-employees-team-listening-to-coworker-at-meeting-in-office/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/dougthorpe.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/admanity-173657588_l.jpg?fit=2508%2C1672&ssl=1"... Continue Reading

In the political drama “West Wing”, President Bartlet usually ended an episode with this question, “What’s next?” Knowing what is next for your business is a crucial choice that affects its success. Running a business comes with a lot of challenges. It’s a constant balancing act of making sure your business is running smoothly while also thinking about the future. Whether it’s expanding into new markets, launching new products, or streamlining operations, entrepreneurs, owners, and CEOs need to consider what they should do. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at what... Continue Reading

Double exposure of elegant businessman and modern busines city with towers and skyscrapers ” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/dougthorpe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/113275079_s.jpg?fit=650%2C390&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/dougthorpe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/113275079_s.jpg?fit=800%2C480&ssl=1″ /> Being an effective leader is a constant challenge that requires daily dedication and self-reflection. As owners, entrepreneurs, and executives, we have to make tough decisions every day that can impact not only our businesses but also the... Continue Reading

It’s hard to believe you can run into a successful executive who is 180 off the mark on a certain topic. I once had a client company who was struggling with the aftermath of undergoing a rapid campaign of acquisitions. Eighteen months into post-merger activities they were hemorrhaging money. My job was to reassess certain alignment issues and evaluate immediate changes to stop the bleeding. As a result of a SWAT Team-like blitz through the company, I was sensing a disconnect with one of the key executives. He was their CIO. He and I just couldn’t seem to get on the same page. Now I’ve... Continue Reading

Leading a business involves risk. For some of us, just getting out of bed each day seems like a risk. For others, they can’t get enough of it. Being a risk taker is on the high end of the scale for entrepreneurs and visionaries. Our business culture is full of stories about famous risk-takers. Yet how we each look at risk says a lot about where we are as entrepreneurs, business people, and leaders. I come from a banking background. The basic principles of banking involve risk and reward. As your banker, I will lend you X dollars if you agree to pay me Y interest. The interest rate reflects... Continue Reading

Everyone has a story. Life is hard (sometimes). We all experience something in life that makes it hard. In addition, if you look around, you will find stories everywhere of how people overcame a gutwrenching circumstance to emerge victorious, coming out the other side. Health concerns, emotional and physical abuse, poverty, poor education, bankruptcy, and substance abuse are the main categories we usually consider when defining bad circumstances. There are, of course, many more. As a preacher friend was known to say, “There’s a story on every pew.” That is so true. On occasion, people get... Continue Reading

If your desire is to be a better manager at work, at home, or in the community, you may want to develop some actual leadership skills. However, if you are already following certain leadership principles, there is always room for lifting the lid to expand your reach and influence. After many years of working with clients of all kinds, I see one recurring theme, time and again. The biggest difference between managers who are pretenders versus leaders who are contenders is a small six-inch piece of real estate; the distance between your ears. Yes, I am talking about the space inside your head. The... Continue Reading