Leadership

10 Feb 2021

When Saying “Be Careful!” Isn’t Enough

By |2021-02-10T23:35:03-07:00February 10th, 2021|Categories: Leadership, Manifast, Working on the Business|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Be Careful - Woman Falling on Ice

It is snowing, and the roads are slippery. One of your team members is about to hit the road, so you say, “Be careful out there!” as they depart.

You are about to head out for a wintry walk on the icy sidewalks of Calgary, and a friend texts, “Be careful!” before you bundle up and head out.

Did your chances of staying safe improve from the well-intended reminder?

The Safety Illusion – Looking Back

I was a relatively confident walker before I […]

19 Aug 2020

How to Rescue Your Business with a Little Maslow’s Cat

By |2020-08-20T23:46:02-06:00August 19th, 2020|Categories: Business Strategy, Leadership, Mindset and Motivation|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Maslow's Cat Sitting on Post - Top of Hierarchy

Maslow’s hierarchy is often expressed as a pyramid and frequently used to explain the basics of human nature based on five levels of needs.

According to established historical lore, ancient Egyptians revered cats. Perhaps pyramids were built to house ancient kings, but that would not have stopped a cat from sitting on the top of one and looking down to watch everyone else.

Cats see things a little differently.

Maslow’s cat can help us better understand those needs […]

23 Jul 2020

How to Fight the Right Fight – Pick a Rising Trend

By |2020-07-23T00:08:39-06:00July 23rd, 2020|Categories: Business Strategy, Leadership, Mindset and Motivation|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Shipwreck on a rising tide.

“A rising tide raises all ships.” ~ John F. Kennedy

The tide is a metaphor for the overall economy. The theory is that if the overall economy is rising, everyone benefits. Conversely, if the tide is falling, everyone suffers.

Yet, is any of this consistently accurate? Does the tide affect every business the same?

Looking Closer at the Trends

To see the overall economy, you have to zoom way out. When you are at this level, you can’t easily see any details.

To find meaning – cause and effect – you […]

2 Jul 2020

Is Honest Communication a Lost Leadership Value?

By |2020-07-02T21:38:02-06:00July 2nd, 2020|Categories: Business Strategy, Leadership|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Business Leadership and Honest Communication

More and more, we see examples of leadership that are less than stellar – including less than honest communication.

Part of this seems to be a win at all costs mentality where “at all costs” means any way you can – even if that includes lying, bullying, cheating, and changing the rules so you can win.

As someone who spent many years as a leader in the military and 20 years leading a business, I find this disheartening. Crony capitalism and other forms of cheating are not good […]

10 Jun 2020

Surviving in a Crisis Requires Facing the Truth

By |2020-06-11T01:41:12-06:00June 10th, 2020|Categories: Business Strategy, Current Events, Leadership|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Hanging on by a thread during a crisis - frayed rope.

Hiding from the truth will not serve you well, especially during a health and economic crisis like a pandemic.

Your business is always at risk. Maybe the threat is not immediate.

However, markets change. Products become obsolete. Often, a new competitor emerges. Tastes change. Often change is gradual. Sometimes it is relatively sudden. At times it is local in nature, and sometimes it is a global phenomenon.

Surprises happen. A squirrel shorts […]

2 Jul 2019

19 Years – Our Big Mistakes Are Your Powerful Lessons

By |2020-05-28T18:45:40-06:00July 2nd, 2019|Categories: Business Strategy, Current Events, Doug's Blog, Dream Teams, Leadership, Mindset and Motivation|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Man Asking Questions, Mistakes and Business Lessons

A little over 19 years ago, my two business partners and I set off on the entrepreneurial journey that became Sunwapta Solutions. Over the years, we’ve had some successes, made some (costly) mistakes, and sometimes learned a few things.

People typically don’t learn much from easy success, aside from a false sense of security and overconfidence. Nor do they believe they will make the same mistakes you did – until they do.

I can’t prevent you from making any mistakes. Nor […]

26 May 2016

The Future is Coming and There Is No Going Back to the Past

By |2017-04-12T11:28:33-06:00May 26th, 2016|Categories: Current Events, Leadership, Manifast, Mindset and Motivation, The Good Men Project|

Future of Man and Robot

The past is gone. It is only an illusion that we can get it back. Good men must make the future great instead.

Have you ever had one of those experiences with other people where the moment was spontaneous, fun, and memorable? Then you try to make it happen the next year again, but it doesn’t seem to be quite as good? There is only one first time. The older you get, the more you are likely to want to hold onto the […]

24 May 2016

How Having Momentum Behind Money and Ego Can Suck Out Your Life

By |2017-04-03T11:10:13-06:00May 24th, 2016|Categories: Business Strategy, Doug's Blog, Leadership, Mindset and Motivation, The Good Men Project|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Man At Airport

Sometimes you can take a path in your business that isn’t right for you. Your choices matter.

I know more than a few men who’ve started what they thought was the perfect business for themselves. Once momentum kicks in it can get hard to change direction. The biggest trap ends up being the one we make in our heads.

One example is the expert industry. There are variations, but the formula is pretty straight forward. You start […]

9 May 2016

The Secret to Great Leadership is Letting Others Win

By |2017-04-03T11:10:39-06:00May 9th, 2016|Categories: Doug's Blog, Leadership, Mindset and Motivation, The Good Men Project|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Winning-Competition-Leadership-and-Goats-Butting-Heads

Being competitive can be good or it can be dysfunctional. Effective entrepreneurs learn the difference.

Most entrepreneurs are competitive by nature. Being a competitive man isn’t a bad thing.

Sometimes, we watch some men take competition to the extreme. Every interaction is a death match to prove they are winners, and everyone else is a loser. I watched a documentary about well-known billionaire developer who always had to win, even against other accomplished businessmen. In making […]

11 Apr 2016

Being Self-Aware Enough to Know Your Value is the Path to Creating Exceptional Value

By |2017-04-03T11:11:02-06:00April 11th, 2016|Categories: Business Strategy, Doug's Blog, Leadership, Mindset and Motivation, The Good Men Project|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Team of Self Aware Business People - Startup

With people walking the Earth claiming to be the “greatest” at everything, it is easy to lose sight of your personal potential for greatness.

When I think of personal greatness, I don’t mean the narcissistic “look at me, look how great I am” of an adult child clamoring for constant approval. A little limelight is good for the soul. Tying your sense of self-worth to the […]