My Inc.com article from last Monday (sorry, I fell behind), “How to Pivot Like a Pro,” began How to Pivot Like a Pro Think you have a good idea but facing resistance? Here’s how to change it to a great idea your customers love and your competitors envy. Changing your business’s direction is hard, especially when you love your current plan. It could be the difference between customers loving you[…] Keep reading →

My Inc.com article today, “11 Reasons Why School Business Plan Competitions Should Die” begins 11 Reasons Why School Business Plan Competitions Should Die Who benefits when venture capitalists ‘give’ money away? Who loses? If the customer is valuable, who is the customer when a business plan competition sponsor pays its award? Whom did the contestant focus on–the long-term customer or the venture capitalist sponsor? Schools once didn’t teach entrepreneurship. Then[…] Keep reading →

My post on Inc.com today, “How Leaders Get Followers” begins How Leaders Get Followers Getting promoted or starting a venture so people get paid to do what you say doesn’t make them followers. Here’s what does. Most people think to become a leader, you just get promoted or start a venture until you have a team below you: the bigger the team, the more people reporting to you, the more[…] Keep reading →

My Inc.com article today, “How Not to Save New York City, or Your Home” begins How Not to Save New York City, or Your Home The New York Times and New York Magazine show how not to lead on the biggest issue of our time. It’s up to leaders to lead. This is a post about what leaders, entrepreneurs, and other Inc.com readers do best–to lead people to improve their[…] Keep reading →

My Inc.com story today, “These First-Graders Will Teach You to Make Your Team More Productive” begins These First-Graders Will Teach You to Make Your Team More Productive This master educator walking these first-graders through the iterative process of peer-learning will teach you Teams beat individuals in business, end of story. There are exceptions, but rarely, and you can tell when. People and teams who learn beat ones who stagnate, end[…] Keep reading →

My Inc.com post today, “A Simple Way To Simplify Your Life,” begins The Simplest Way to Simplify Your Life This one step, iterated, will simplify your possessions and keep it that way. Books started the process, which expanded to everything. I viewed books like everyone else: they showed people who I was, they added to my home, were useful for reference, etc. I went through an experience that changed that.[…] Keep reading →

My Inc.com story today, “Employers Reject Résumés. Why You Should Stop Sending Them.” begins Employers Reject Résumés. Why You Should Stop Sending Them. Nobody gives a final yes to a résumé. But they do give final no’s. What to do instead. A well-placed woman, “Jane,” who saw me speak on a panel began the process of offering me a job. To put me in touch with her boss, Jane asked[…] Keep reading →