I know what you’re thinking…I’m a consultant so either this is a self-loathing mea culpa or I have a point. Bear with me because I do in fact have a point. The thing about consultants is that we generally are really skilled at something, that’s why we’re consultants. But we are workers, fixers, problem solvers. We aren’t business owners and that is something that I have come up … [Read more...]
Play Ball!
There is a theory out in the world of baseball that everything you need to know about life, you learn in the outfield. I think there is some truth to that. Baseball is a game of knowing when to swing, learning about the other team and waiting for the right time to steal the bases. Sounds an awful lot like business right? We all know that we have to be strategic and … [Read more...]
Marketing Your Company, Not You
As I stumble through this minefield of entrepreneurship, I have learned that there has to be a significant switch in your thinking. We start businesses for a variety of reasons, mostly because we are really good at something specific. What happens is that you quickly realize that you cannot be the person that runs the business and the person who does the work. There has to be … [Read more...]
The Tone of Business
I recently got some feedback that I have to say, took me aback a bit. The feedback came from two very different source with very different interest. And while the feedback certainly has merit, I have to say it took me a few days to process it. ‘Leona, you are animated and that’s great. It’s why people love you, but some people don’t know how to take it. It can come off as … [Read more...]
Women on Boards – Leading Companies of Silicon Valley
Which companies in Silicon Valley have the most women on boards? That's the question Bryce Druzen answered yesterday on the Silicon Valley Business Journal website. Not surprisingly, Druzen found that only 16.9% of Silicon Valley companies have women corporate board members. You can see how the companies in the tech capitol of the United States rank below and get all of … [Read more...]
The Business of Deceit
We all know that a sweet lie feels better than a hard truth, but in business it’s supposed to be all about the facts. In a world where perception can be skewed as quickly as a tweet is posted, how can you make sure that your business is telling you the hard truth all of the time? The truth is that you can’t. You can’t make sure that everything that reaches your eyes is beyond … [Read more...]
The Rules of Engagement
In business, relationships are everything. It’s who you know that can help you get where you want to be and all that hard work will come to fruition on that magical moment when you meet the right person at the right time in the right place. Until that time the most meaningful relationship you can have is taking care of yourself as a CEO and here's how you do it. Reward … [Read more...]
Building Bridges
The worth of an entrepreneurs is in their ability to bring create solutions and to build relationships. What hinders small business is that we either don’t use our networks enough or we only use our networks. What small business is most guilty of is not networking because they could be doing something else. The thing is that having coffee or lunch with a contact is something … [Read more...]
The Expert is In
As a consultant I am constantly cast in an expert role and for the most part that’s okay, but I want to be clear….I don’t know everything and that’s what makes me an expert. I know a lot about my specialty but when it comes to taking my own advice, I could do a little better. So here’s the best advice that I can give myself and hopefully it will work for you as well. Be still … [Read more...]
What’s a “GUTSY CHICK”?
When I was working on the cover for my new book, “GUTSY: How Women Leaders Make Change”, I spent time with the designer looking at all the overt and subtle meanings of the word "GUTSY". Karrie, www.karrieross.com, asked me what the smallest visual I could think of to demonstrate what "GUTSY" means. I sat with closed eyes and saw a hand with elegant long fingers and well … [Read more...]