To truly understand the importance of hiring for teams and organizations, look at the cost of a bad selection. Beyond the direct costs associated with those poor matches, there are costs of time, effort, productivity, and training. Not to mention the potential hits taken to culture, trust, and morale. Any such “horror stories” should remind

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You’ve likely been writing and sending emails most or all your professional life. Maybe you don’t even remember life without email. We write them, hit Send, and magically they arrive in the other person’s inbox. We’ve sent our message; our work is done. This magic is great, until it isn’t. We can make the magic

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Whether in our professional or personal lives, opportunities surround us. However, the key lies in our ability to see and take advantage of them.Tuning into OpportunitiesDid you ever play ‘Punch Bug’ as a kid? Remember how suddenly you started noticing Volkswagen Beetles everywhere? This is due to our reticular activating system, a part of our

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Shortcuts. Who wouldn’t want a way to achieve something faster, make quicker progress, or arrive at our desired destination sooner? Shortcuts seem efficient, smart, and easy. When you think about it this way, it is easy to see the seduction of shortcuts. But are they all that we hope or want them to be? I’ll give

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As a high school and college kid working on our farm, I remember my dad sometimes taking short naps after lunch. At the time, I didn’t think my dad was lazy in any way, but I didn’t understand it. As a business owner for 30 years (and now past the age of my dad in

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Do you prefer offense or defense? This isn’t just about sports – it’s about how we approach life and work.Offense or Defense in LifeAs a college basketball fan, I’ve often pondered whether a team excels more on offense or defense. This analogy extends beyond the court. In life, are we playing offense, proactively pursuing growth

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As you become a clearer and more vibrant thinker, you become a more effective leader (and human being). To become that clear and vibrant thinker, we must go to the source – our inputs. Set aside the thinking process for a minute. Let’s explore how and why inputs for thinking are critically important – and

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Failure. This isn’t a word that is super inspiring or brings joy to our hearts and minds. Yet it is something we need to think about as a leader and individual. To think about failure in a more effective and helpful way (and perhaps stop avoiding it), let’s realize that there are two kinds of failure.The

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Imagine you’re driving. There’s always that area which your mirrors can’t capture – the blind spot. Just because we can’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there, posing potential risks. This analogy perfectly mirrors life and leadership. We all have blind spots – aspects of our personality or habits that are invisible to us but

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When I walk through airports, I see people carrying massive backpacks. I often wonder what they are carrying and if they need it all. I wonder how much weight they are carrying and how healthy it is for their bodies. After all, just because the bag will hold it, doesn’t mean it is needed. Then

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