G.R.I.T. Talk Show featuring best selling author Linda Goldstein a contributing author within GROWTH. Linda shares about the impact she made within the community while she was a politician and the...

I read recently about a restaurant owner who tried to deal with his difficult situation by pretending everything is OK …when it definitely was not OK. Prior to reopening his dining room, he...

I recently asked a business owner what her highest priority will be when her office reopens.   With no hesitation, she said, “Revise our strategic plan.”  I’ve heard other business...

I have a colleague who’s on edge. The pandemic sparked it. He and I discussed how he can deal productively with it. He’s generally an even-keeled kind of guy. But he told me how stressed...

Last month, I shared the story of how “groupthink” in President John F. Kennedy’s administration led to the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion. Here’s the next chapter of that story: How JFK applied...

When he became President in 1961, John F. Kennedy inherited a plan to invade Cuba and depose Communist leader Fidel Castro.  Kennedy’s predecessor, Dwight D. Eisenhower, hatched the plan to arm...

We all make a variety of decisions every day. Some are so routine that we make them without giving them much thought. But difficult or challenging decisions demand more consideration. Here are a few...

Whether you lead an organization, community, or board, nothing significant gets done if you don’t prioritize. Without priorities, goals and initiatives trigger chaos, not progress. How do you...

When I was Mayor of Clayton, MO, we sometimes locked horns with residents when we proposed development projects in their neighborhood. These were the residents who wanted no change at all EVER...

I once knew a CEO who was fond of BHAGs — big, hairy, audacious goals. He encouraged his employees to think bigger. He prodded them to fill strategic plans with one BHAG after another. Then, he...

With the possibility of a recession looming over us, global warming threatening the future of our planet, and mass shootings horrifying us way too often, who isn’t more than just a little distracted...

In a 1995 interview, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was discussing the importance of teamwork and shared the following anecdote to make his point: “When I was a young kid there was a widowed man that...

“It’s easier to run for office than to run the office.” Former House Speaker Tip O’Neill Congratulations, you ran for public office and won! Campaigning and getting elected is a great...

I recently saw a hilarious video clip from the third season of Saturday Night Live (SNL). Producer Lorne Michaels asks the Beatles (all still living at the time) to reunite and perform on the show...

How Stakeholder Input Can Keep You and Your Team on Track If it hadn’t been for accurate data, I wouldn’t have realized I was barking up the wrong tree. Most people are motivated to run for political...

During my years in the commercial flooring business, my company acquired one of our competitors with a very different culture than ours.  My organization was predominately women and we marketed to the...

Recently I was invited to meet with an elected Board because, as one member said, they “needed a little team-building.”  After some preliminary discussions, I arrived at City Hall...

Local Governments & Energy Efficiency   How can you save money, invest more resources in your community, fight climate change, and offset rising energy prices? Sounds like a trick question...

Five Key Issues That Can Make or Break Your Plans   “It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.” ~Charles Darwin For those...

Why Your Board, Team, or Business Needs a Vision Statement and Action Plan Nothing is going to be handed to you — you have to make things happen.”                                                    ...

Inspirational Quotes & Lessons from Legendary Leaders Great leaders never stop growing, and what better way is there to learn than through the insight and advice of others? Here are five of my...

“Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers”    ~Harry Truman Staying informed, inspired, and up to date on best practices is essential for effective leadership. There are so many...

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. — John Quincy Adams Let me start out by saying that I’m a very big fan of local government...

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” John F. Kennedy Change is inevitable and that’s especially true when it comes to local...