Insights from Proverbs Archives - Business Coaching

Invest In Your Team and Customers Will Follow

For many years in my business, I was obsessed with how I was going to attract more and more business. I attended webinars and conferences, and I read nearly every book, or marketing article that seemed relevant to what I perceived was my most urgent need.

[Read more…]

Goals and Accountability

Last night I was thinking about 3 ways in which goals and accountability helped me just yesterday and how this applies to business goals.

Yesterday morning, after having traveled for several days, I did something that I typically do very consistently: I weighed myself. And I found that because it had been several days since I last weighed myself, I had slipped up a little bit in regard to my weight. Just knowing that immediately resulted in a change of mindset for me concerning my caloric intake.

[Read more…]

Employee Retention

When I think about employee retention or employee engagement, I often think of it this way: “How ‘all in’ are your employees?” The answer to this question is very important. [Read more…]

Insights From Proverbs: Contention

There’s a proverb that says, “For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down” (Proverbs 26:20). I talk a lot about being fearless, confronting people, and talking to people, not about them. I think that asking questions is a critical part of leadership, but there’s also prudence in knowing when not to talk, when not to be a “whisperer.” There are times when something is said or done inappropriately and you’re wise to confront that behavior in an appropriate and timely way. There are also times when it’s better to not add fuel to the fire. Maybe if we let things go, if we don’t whisper or talk to others, that will cause the contention to quiet down. [Read more…]

Insights From Proverbs: Gossip

As a leader, one of the things you will have to address is office or company gossip. Some people say gossip is just human nature and we need to accept it; I don’t agree. I think about Proverbs 26:20: “For lack of wood the fire goeth out; And where there is no whisperer, contention ceaseth.” [Read more…]

Insights from Proverbs: Ask Questions

Proverbs 20:5 says, “A plan in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding draws it out.” How does that translate into wisdom for everyday life? Let’s look at an example of this principle in action. Just last Thursday, I met with the CEO and leadership team of a $50M company. This was my first meeting with this group. The CEO was polite and kind, but I could sense that he had his arms crossed in his mind and carried a “show me something” attitude. I walked in, introduced myself, and started handing 3×5 cards out to the team while explaining, “You know, most consultants make a terrible mistake: they start by trying to tell you what they know. That’s well-meaning but really wrong-headed. I’d like to take a different approach and start by asking some questions and hearing your perspective.” [Read more…]

Insight From Proverbs: Accepting Correction

When we talk about insights, I love the book of Proverbs. Solomon asked for wisdom and this is a record of his wise sayings to his adult son. Proverbs 17:10 says, “A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool.” [Read more…]