“Organize around business functions, not people.  Build systems within each business function.  Let systems run the business and people run the systems.  People come and go, but systems remain constant.”

                                                                                   - Michael E. Gerber, author, The E-Myth Revisited

When I first began my entrepreneurial journey, almost 24 years ago, one of the most impactful books I read was, The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber.  In it, he talked not only about the value, but the necessity of utilizing systems in order to make businesses work. 

Like most entrepreneurs just staring out, I engaged in every facet of running my martial arts business; I taught all of the classes, I answered the phone and set appointments, I did the introductory lessons and enrolled new students, I even emptied the garbage and mopped the floors.  This worked well in the early stages of my business’s growth, but soon I became overwhelmed with all o...

"Quality questions create a quality life.  Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers.”

                                                                                                       - Anthony Robbins

Questions.  I have heard innumerable times in my life that the quality of our lives is in direct proportion to the quality of questions we ask ourselves.  This is particularly true when are dealing with challenges.  

As leaders in our lives and in our organizations, challenges are indeed a constant.  Ask any leader who embarked upon something big, and they will almost always tell you that they never arrived at their desired outcome in the way they had planned.  Challenges which required their flexibility, perseverance and creativity to course correct, were the one constant in their journey.  They will also most likely tell you that their ability to move through these challenges were best served by asking themselves and their teams empowerin...