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Articles from Rand Golletz | Selfgrowth.com
- What Really Killed Borders and Why We Love Nordstrom - by Submitted on Feb 08, 2011 from Rand GolletzA couple of years ago, I was standing in an unacceptably long line, waiting to pay for my purchase at a Borders. I counted ten people in front of me, six people behind me, one person working a register, and a manager who was fulfilling the role of disengaged observer. After paying for my ...
Views: 1211(1 vote) - If You Want to Succeed, Do This! - by Submitted on Dec 08, 2014 from Rand GolletzThis is one of the questions I hear most: "What one thing or one recommendation can you tell me that will have a huge impact on my life?" My answer is always the same: Accept 100% responsibility for everything in your life. It sounds obvious, but it's one of those recommendations that's easier ...
Views: 1203 - Repeat After Me: I Will Covet My Game Changers - by Submitted on Nov 06, 2011 from Rand GolletzDanielle was an account executive with Forman and Company, a professional services firm that conducted high-end research, primarily for Fortune 500 companies. During her career, she had sold products and services ranging from time-shares to computer software and consulting – all with outstanding ...
Views: 1189 - Are You Mentally Tough? - by Submitted on Jan 09, 2010 from Rand Golletz"Mental toughness is essential to success." -Vince Lombardi This past spring, San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Singletary brought a new kind (and new level) of pain to his team's training camp. Known simply as "the hill," it's a 45-degree incline that he had built for running. Singletary ...
Views: 1175 - You Must Know Yourself - by Submitted on Jul 05, 2015 from Rand GolletzI make my living in large measure helping executives understand how others see them, and then deciding what to do about that. The truth is that while most of us have a fairly complete knowledge of how other people's behavior affects us, we are generally clueless as to how our behavior affects ...
Views: 1174 - Are You Persistent and Audacious? Jerry Weintraub’s Story - by Submitted on May 05, 2017 from Rand GolletzUntil his death a couple of years ago, Jerry Weintraub was a legend (in his own time) in the entertainment business. The consummate showman, he promoted concerts (including Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, etc.) and produced movies (including Nashville, Diner, Ocean’s 11, ...
Views: 1167 - Development Lessons from RGIII and Aaron Rodgers - by Submitted on Feb 09, 2016 from Rand GolletzIf you've read some of my past articles, you absolutely know that I'm a sports fan. I've always been a participant as well as an observer. I believe in keeping a VERY active lifestyle. But I digress! Along with many people (male and female) in the U.S., I'm an unabashed NFL fan. I cheer for ...
Views: 1165 - Are Your Decisions Objective? - by Submitted on Aug 04, 2013 from Rand GolletzAs a part of an engagement with a client (an insurer), I walked the executive leadership team through a discussion of company strengths and weaknesses, as well as external opportunities and threats. I stood at the white board posting their answers as the discussion migrated to an assessment of ...
Views: 1164 - You Still Have to Manage - by Submitted on Jun 11, 2012 from Rand GolletzYour job is to create, align and sustain aspiration, inspiration and perspiration! Many of today’s leaders, however, have become convinced (often times with the instigation of OD gurus), that management is no longer important, and that aspiration and inspiration are sufficient to propel ...
Views: 1151(1 vote) - Develop Your Strengths and Starve Your Weaknesses - by Submitted on Jan 08, 2012 from Rand GolletzI once worked as a partner in an international consulting firm. As a part of that assignment, I helped executives learn to think strategically. Strategic thinking and strategic planning are distinct but equally important disciplines. While strategic plans are frequently and inappropriately ...
Views: 1146 - Do You Convert Suspects Into Clients? - by Submitted on Sep 08, 2013 from Rand GolletzI was standing in a line at the grocery store. The person in front of me was paying by check. At what I thought was the conclusion of the transaction, the cashier called the manager to her workspace. I watched quizzically as he initialed the check without even pretending to see what was on it ...
Views: 1139 - If You Want Performance – Do These Five Things - by Submitted on Apr 08, 2012 from Rand GolletzI’m going to fill you in on something many leaders don’t get: You must fulfill five very basic requirements if you expect people to perform. You MUST give your people an explicit sense of the overall organization’s mission and values, and why they should care about them. You MUST develop ...
Views: 1135 - To Be or Not to Be … A “Jerk” That Is - by Submitted on Jun 06, 2016 from Rand GolletzJerry was the CEO of a large bank headquartered in New York. As a client of mine for several years, he had grown to trust my ability to work with “difficult” executives. One Friday evening I got a call from Jerry’s executive assistant, asking me to meet with him to discuss one of his direct ...
Views: 1132 - Success Requires Truth: Learn Ways to Govern Thoughts That Govern You - by Submitted on Apr 06, 2015 from Rand GolletzI have discussed the ways in which our minds deceive us and how that deception causes malfunction/dysfunction in our lives and businesses. I enumerated several actions that should move you closer to fact and away from fiction. For context, here's that list: • Deliberately put people in your ...
Views: 1131 - Employ Leverage and Discipline for Success - by Submitted on Sep 06, 2015 from Rand GolletzPeople in the real estate business talk a lot about the power of leverage. Essentially, it means investing a limited amount of personal cash to geometrically increase net worth through appreciation. Let’s say you buy a piece of rental property for $300,000 with a down payment of 20%. You laid ...
Views: 1124 - The Lost Investment Banker - by Submitted on May 18, 2010 from Rand GolletzFrank was the CEO of a large investment bank that was owned by a gargantuan New York bank. His boss Charles, the chairman of the bank, called me to coach Frank. (Frank and Charles are pseudonyms.) As Charles described it, Frank had a “rough engagement style,” which is corporate speak for not ...
Views: 1118 - Why Smart Executives Make Dumb Decisions - by Submitted on Dec 04, 2011 from Rand GolletzWhen I help senior leaders with their strategy creation efforts, I’ll review past strategies and then the results, financial and otherwise, that those strategies produced. I’m frequently amazed when I see that smart, capable executives have developed and implemented strategies that should have ...
Views: 1117(1 vote) - What Are Your Beliefs and Aspirations? - by Submitted on Feb 09, 2015 from Rand GolletzA number of years ago, I documented my values and beliefs regarding how I want to live my life. It was a valuable exercise. Documenting these things, however, is not nearly as important as comparing them to my actual behavior and actions. That exercise has created many “Holy sh**” moments for ...
Views: 1109 - You Cannot Mandate Commitment - by Submitted on Aug 06, 2012 from Rand GolletzWhen Carly Fiorina became the CEO of Hewlett-Packard years ago, she lamented that the culture had become one in which “anyone can say ‘no,’ but nobody can say ‘yes.’” How decisions are made is a significant part of any company’s culture. Like Ms. Fiorina, most executives wrestle with the ...
Views: 1108 - You Need to Know Your Water Cooler Story - by Submitted on Feb 10, 2014 from Rand GolletzTo the onlooker, John's life was idyllic. He was a vice president at a large financial services company. He earned great money and appeared to have a successful life. At the age of 43, his mortgage was paid off and his kids' college educations were funded. His wife did volunteer work as a member ...
Views: 1100 - Do You Know Your “Water-Cooler Story?” - by Submitted on Dec 05, 2010 from Rand GolletzHere’s a list of some people I feel really sorry for: • Mike Tyson’s accountant (only kidding Mike – really!) • The choir director in my church (Would somebody please tell those people the truth about their voices?!) • Derek Jeter’s social secretary (busier than a one-legged man in a ...
Views: 1096(3 votes) - Commit Yourself to Action Now - by Submitted on Dec 09, 2009 from Rand GolletzI've noticed a lot of changes in myself as a direct consequence of aging. Overall, I have a higher level of equanimity than I did as a 30 year old. I'm better at accepting without agreeing with points of view that diverge from my own on almost any subject. I more regularly and rigorously remind ...
Views: 1092(1 vote) - Character Matters in Leadership - by Submitted on Feb 05, 2011 from Rand GolletzOne of my clients and her husband, Cheryl and Michael Heller, have created a unique way of teaching their daughter Annebeth two important lessons: money management and the importance of “giving back.” They require her to divide her weekly allowance into three parts. Annebeth gets to keep and ...
Views: 1079(4 votes) - Interview for Personal Qualities - by Submitted on Jun 17, 2011 from Rand GolletzMost executives’ hiring skills are sorely lacking. A couple of years ago, I consulted with a medium-sized company’s Board of Directors to sharpen their ability to recruit and select senior executives from the outside after a couple of bad hiring decisions had nearly buried the company. As a ...
Views: 1079 - You Can Change Profoundly, FOREVER!! - by Submitted on Jul 11, 2016 from Rand GolletzOur knowledge of brain science is rapidly evolving. Some things we now know: Words matter. When you quit smoking, for example, did you tell people you were a non-smoker, or a smoker trying to quit? When you tried to change your leadership style, did you say things such as "I'm an autocrat ...
Views: 1073 - Your First 90 Days With Your New Boss - by Submitted on Mar 06, 2010 from Rand GolletzIn any new job, you face a multitude of challenges… all of which have to be addressed “on the run” and simultaneously. One of the biggest of these is “managing up” – that is, working with your new boss. For too many people, including senior level executives, this becomes a random process. ...
Views: 1050 - You Need SMART Goals - by Submitted on Feb 12, 2012 from Rand GolletzI’m going to differentiate well crafted from poorly crafted business goals. Your ability to manage your business, your work, your budget, your people and yourself depend on this skill, so spending the next five minutes digesting this brief material can be a game changer for you. Let’s start ...
Views: 1044 - Implement These Steps for Greater Personal Effectiveness - by Submitted on May 07, 2013 from Rand GolletzJohn, one of my clients, operated a very successful pair of auto dealerships. His personal income approached a million dollars per year, but he was not a happy camper. John hadn't taken a real family vacation in five years. He was on the treadmill of financial success but personal oblivion. ...
Views: 993 - Where's Your "Dude-Line," Dude? - by Submitted on May 15, 2011 from Rand GolletzI was sitting in a meeting to watch one of my clients deliver a presentation to a group of twenty senior leaders, including the CEO, of a Fortune 200 company. About five minutes into his "pitch," an attendee raised his hand, was recognized by my client, and then asked a well-articulated, pointed ...
Views: 984 - Do You Understand Our Financial Malaise? - by Submitted on Aug 06, 2011 from Rand GolletzMy interest here is to provide a very basic explanation of our country's financial condition and not an analysis of "who shot John," or a prescription for our salvation. With that in mind, I'll keep my personal politics, philosophy and beliefs out of my argument. During the last several ...
Views: 982 - The Power of “No” - by Submitted on Jun 17, 2011 from Rand GolletzI arrived to check in at my hotel in the middle of long business trip. I approached the counter and was greeted by a pleasant young woman with her name emblazoned on a badge affixed to her shirt. It said “Melanie.” Underneath her name was printed one additional word, the dreaded ...
Views: 975 - Business Lessons From the Final Four - by Submitted on Apr 09, 2011 from Rand GolletzI frequently draw from the military and sports worlds for leadership lessons. Wooden and Lombardi gave us examples as relevant and compelling as Winston Churchill from politics or GE’s Jack Welch from business. The teams that have made the NCAA’s Final Four provide lessons that are easily ...
Views: 898 - Where Did Rumsfeld Go Wrong? - by Submitted on Mar 15, 2011 from Rand GolletzFormer Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's recently released memoir, Known and Unknown, reveals a man of prodigious intellect (no surprise), an endearing sense of humor and little self-doubt. Whether or not you're a fan of the Secretary, it's a great read. Secretary Rumsfeld's book tour has ...
Views: 869 - Are Your Coaches and Consultants Financially Literate? - by Submitted on Feb 05, 2010 from Rand GolletzI was attending a meeting at one of my client companies a couple of years ago. They regularly conducted sessions for the external executive coaches with whom their leaders worked, to provide updates on company results and strategy. During one segment of the meeting, the presenter used the ...
Views: 863 - Do You Have a Consistent Philosophy and Belief System? - by Submitted on Sep 05, 2011 from Rand GolletzMost people assume I'm a Republican. I'm a former CEO, former CMO, and now a business coach and consultant - you get the idea! The fact is, I have NEVER been a Republican. I was once a Democrat. Then I became an Independent, and for the last several years I've been a registered Libertarian. When ...
Views: 844 - When it Comes to Owning Your Life, Are You “All In?” - by Submitted on Oct 10, 2011 from Rand GolletzIn poker, the term “all in” is used to describe the act of pushing all of your chips to the center of the table – letting it ride; going for broke. When it comes to living our lives, how many of us live so timidly that we will not go “all in?” Do you linger forever on your successes, or do ...
Views: 741 - Seven Tips to Keep You Growing - by Submitted on Oct 10, 2011 from Rand GolletzAccording to the late John Gardner, by midlife many of us are “accomplished fugitives from ourselves.” I agree! Someone else once said, “Anyone who has the same beliefs and attitudes at 50 years old that they did at 30 years old has wasted twenty years.” I believe that by the age of 40, many ...
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