I received an email from a reader recently. He wanted to share a picture he took which provided an opportunity for him to expand his thinking around experimentation, innovation and taking risks. Here is an excerpt from his note:

"I thought of the banner on your newsletter after I took this photo yesterday from the parking lot of my... OH office at 7:15 a.m.

I think it's quite dramatic and the unusual effect was rendered, unknowingly, by simply cropping the picture and enlarging it.

This is what life should be about--experimentation that leads to innovation and a higher level of willingness by a person to take more calculated risks to achieve their intended goals."

I always appreciate hearing from readers and decided that I'd like to encourage more interaction here, so I'm launching a new feature this month called "Ask Herman". This is an opportunity to ask me a specific question or present an issue for comment. I'll share the questions I receive and my response in future issues of this Newsletter and perhaps a Friday Biz Tip.

To submit a question, simply email me and put Ask Herman in the subject line.

I look forward to your participation!

Herman

Business Moment: Making Adversity an Ally

Fred Grandy, the former politician and famed actor best known as “Gopher” on the sitcom The Love Boat, once shared a great story on adversity.

There was an old farmer who had suffered through many perils in his life that most often would destroy virtually anyone. He, however, was able to have full command of his sense of humor.

When asked how he was able to keep happiness a part of his life and remain so positive, he would simply reply, “I’ve just learned to cooperate with the inevitable.” Wow, what a great outlook!

There is an old saying that proclaims, “When fate throws a dagger at you, there are only two ways to catch it; either by the blade or by the handle.”

Cooperating with the inevitable requires all of us to catch our adversities by the handle and use them as the tools for which they were intended. Thus, we can make our adversities very effective learning experiences. All we have to do is to “cooperate with the inevitable” and move on.

Feature Article: Quite Often, It is an Up and Down World

The Roman Empire lasted 500 years. The empire held sway over 21% of the world’s entire population. It was one of the largest empires in world history. It heralded some of the most powerful economic, cultural, political and military powers in the world of its time. Its form of government set the precedent for much of what exists, in whole or part, in many countries of today’s time. Despite its achievements and vast influence, it did not survive. This influential society withered and died as a result of five (5) key factors:

1)  The undermining of the dignity and sanctity of the home, which is the basis for human society.

2)  Higher and higher taxes. The spending of public money for free bread and circuses for the populace.

3)  The mad craze for pleasure, with sports and plays becoming more exciting, more brutal, and more immoral. 

4)  The building of great armaments when the real enemy was within: decay of individual responsibility.

5)  The decay of religion, whose leaders lost touch with life and their power to guide.

Yes, great empires decline and fall when they forget key, critical principles that enabled them to be who they were. A lesson for all to take notice.

Businesses and individuals are much like great empires. They too can rise and fall when they don't follow key principles. As business owners, leaders and managers, it is critical...Click here to read more.

Energy Leadership Article: The True Human Resource

We hear the term Human Resources a lot, and HR departments are found at companies large and small. But have you ever stopped to  consider what the term really means?

William R. Tracey defines Human Resources as: "The people that staff and operate an organization.” Businessdictionary.com states that it is the, “…scarcest and most crucial productive resource that creates the largest and longest lasting advantage for an organization. It resides in the knowledge, skills, and motivation of people….”

For the past several newsletters, we’ve been looking at the differences between catabolic and anabolic leaders. This month we’ll discuss a key distinction in how the two types of leaders treat and think about their human resources – the people that work for and with them.

Catabolic leaders take advantage of the people around them. A catabolic leader looks at the people around him and only considers what the others can do for him and for the organization. Employees are like pawns in a game that the catabolic leader controls, and neither their feelings nor needs are considered. The catabolic leader rarely, if ever, gives credit to anyone else, since he believes that when employees work for him, Click here to read more 

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Hit Those Fall Goals

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Memories - Part I 

Memories - Part 2

Procrastifear