Category Archives: Depending upon others

Why should you explain WHY?

Remember the five “W’s?” In my early journalism classes, I was taught the five “W’s” of good news stories, and that most should be in the first paragraph at that.  Who, what, when, where and why are the five, with … Continue reading

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Are you the leader if no-one follows?

Here is a variation of the “tree falls in the forest” question.  In past insights, we’ve looked at leadership skills, ways to enhance effectiveness, and how to develop creative ideas that motivate and propel your organization to greatness.  Here is … Continue reading

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Learn the power of NO!

Over the years I have counseled entrepreneurs to think of a “no” response in terms of “yes, but…”  There is always another way to say “no” that leaves the door open for creative thinking. Well, almost always.  Sometimes, you just … Continue reading

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Employee vs. contractor: Here we go again.

Why revisit this issue now? Several years ago, I wrote an extensive article on the ten most important tests of a company in classifying a person as an independent contractor.  See https://berkonomics.com/?p=662 for that important insight.  But things have gotten … Continue reading

Posted in Depending upon others, General, Protecting the business | 4 Comments

OK. Let’s AMPLIFY your three levels of leadership.

Another leadership development bit? Yup. But if you have no time or are impatient, here are the three levels:  visionary, strategic and tactical.  Skip or stay with me; but think about your balance in your leadership methods either way. The … Continue reading

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How good a leader are you?

There are many roads to Rio, so they say.  But there is one overwhelming method of appraising the effectiveness of a business leader. Outcomes. We can invent lots of metrics to measure progress for a leader, including revenue, profit, employee … Continue reading

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Are there only three types of advice?

“Here’s the deal…” So, I occasionally read suspense novels to break up the relative monotony of constant business books. A sentence in the one I recently read caught my eye. “There are three types of advice,” the wise White House … Continue reading

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How to reach beyond the prospect’s gatekeeper

What’s a gatekeeper? Looking for an entrance into a VC, an angel group, a bank, a CxO for a sales opportunity, or any other entity?  There are always gate keepers whose job it is to filter out the inconsequential or … Continue reading

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Sometimes your gut is the best you’ve got.

How I didn’t follow my own advice Years ago, I led a deal and invested in a company that looked like it had lots of promise to disrupt the women’s clothing industry with special algorithms and an online store.  But … Continue reading

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The lion and the ant: A managerial lesson

This story has turned out to be one of the most enduring posts ever for me, well worth repeating.  And what a lesson for us all.  I confess that our research cannot find its source.  So, with thanks to whomever … Continue reading

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