When undertaking a project bigger than ourselves, we simply have to work with other people. There is only so much reach, so many hours, and so much energy one person can bring to bear in a given area. We will always need the help of others to achieve big things. Therefore, picking your team is […]
Understanding what’s behind our ambition is a critical pursuit for driven personalities. In There Will be Blood Daniel Day Lewis portrays a ruthless oil man named Daniel Plainview. In one scene, he has a heartfelt conversation with a man pretending to be his long lost brother. The conversation gets real. Daniel Plainview: Are you an angry man, Henry?” Henry Brands: About […]
I’ve noticed many high-achievers don’t spend much time thinking about the past. I was recently catching up with a a senior public-service leader who has been a mentor to me over the years. We kicked around this idea of ambitious people being forward-focused. “Yeah, we just rip the rear-view mirror right off”, he quipped. That […]
My new book, Ambition: Leading with Gratitude, is set for release November 15th. After selling a business earlier this year, I committed to writing a book to explore the underlying reasons high-achievers struggle to find contentment and satisfaction. It was truly a labor of love and I enjoyed the process of refining these important ideas. I’m super excited to announce […]
My daughter just graduated from college with a business degree. As a serial entrepreneur, and the son of an entrepreneur, it’s been an interesting challenge to help her think through “career choices” as she launches into this ever-changing work world. Before I talk about how to pick a career, we need to acknowledge that “career” […]
Alexander Solzhenitsn was sentenced to a Soviet gulag (labor camp) for eight years after being accused of producing anti-Soviet propaganda in private letters critical of Stalin’s war. He entered prison an atheist and emerged a man of faith. Looking back he said, “I bless you prison – I bless you for being in my life – […]
The most important work we do in relation to our growth, we do alone. Behind the scenes. Under the hood. It’s the blacksmith’s shop where we forge and hammer out our own character. What is the point of winning at business if we we are losing at life? We need to focus on being bigger on […]
Being really good at something can be a blessing and a curse. A blessing when whatever you’re good at is truly valuable to your business, but a curse if you rely too heavily on that talent. Many entrepreneurs fall into the frustrated founder role because; (a) they don’t identify what they are naturally good at […]
What idea or feeling comes to mind when you hear the word growth? Do you sense a twinge of anxiety because you know growth requires change? Or are you energized? In my years as an entrepreneur and leader I have observed that healthy people and organizations are generally growing. Admittedly, growth may have developed a […]