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The Unbreakable Truth: Iron Does Indeed Sharpen Iron
In a world teeming with sharp opinions and pointed metaphors, there is one adage that stands as unyielding as a freshly forged blade: “Iron sharpens iron.” Buckle up, dear readers, as we embark on a journey, cutting down to the undeniable truth that this proverb, both literal and metaphorical, is no mere clanging of words—it’s…
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Does Iron Sharpen Iron?
While attending a cocktail reception hosted by a local business incubator I overheard the founder of a startup repeat the saying “Iron Sharpens Iron”. This was the third time that week I was presented with the that old trope. Following the theory that once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, but three times is…
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From SLOMO to FOGHO: Unleashing the Power of Enthusiasm
In the dynamic realm of business, the attitudes and approaches of individuals play a crucial role in determining success. Introducing FOGHO, an acronym derived from “Full On, Gung – HO,” which symbolizes an infectious level of enthusiasm and unwavering dedication to the mission. On the flip side, we have SLOMOs, the employees who seem to…
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Inflation or WINflation?!
Economic inflation is running at the highest level in over a generation, but should this concern you as a manager? YES, most definitely. Ignore inflation and you might be ignoring the greatest motivational tool of a lifetime. A typical definition of inflation is when too much money is chasing too few goods causing prices to…
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The Squirrel and the Drainpipe (an allegory)
Recently our grounds staff was performing routine maintenance at the ICBM Institute Mountain Campus Buildings (ICBMIMCB )in preparation for our yearly International Leading Conference. One of the tasks included repairing a downspout (drainpipe) that had become detached from a rain gutter. It was a simple enough repair for our experienced crews; get a ladder, find…
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Shhh! I am trying to Quiet-Quit Over here
Contrary to what you might expect, here at ICBM, we are actually fans of Quiet-Quitting. This relatively new phenomenon is causing quite a stir in the corporate world. Once the dust settles, it will become evident that Quiet-Quitting is the inevitable response to several passive-aggressive practices which have been in use by managers for years.…
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Quiet-Quitters? It’s Time to Make Some Noise!
Unless you’re a manager that’s been living under a rock for the last year you must have read the headlines about Quiet-Quitting. In a nutshell, Quiet-Quitting is a passive-aggressive attempt by employees to reduce their workload in response to a perceived slight by management. If you pay attention to business media you would think QQ…
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Time for a Pep Talk
Hey Humpty, if you want to make an omelet you have to crack some eggs. I know many of you are down. Maybe even out. And, times are tough. I am not here to deny that the path here has been hard – instead I’m going to lay a yellow brick road right at your…
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Say ‘Nope’ to Hope.
In Corporate America, all hope is not lost, but it should be. We need to kill it while there is still time. — I just got out of a terrible leadership conference in Portland which broke one of my basic rules. Conferences must be engaging and inspiring OR they must have good coffee. Either/or is…
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Managing Employee Retention with Quarterbacks, Interceptions, and Therapists.
In assessing football quarterbacks, one metric stands out more than any other as a predictor of greatness (or adequacy…or even failure) and that is the touchdown-to-interception ratio. In simple terms, over many drives-down-the-field, it is the most accurate measure of efficiency and predictor of success for a team. No measure is more accurate. How good…