To finish first, you must first finish. – Juan Manuel Fangio As we all ramp up and get ready to tackle 2014 many are thinking about renewing their focus or reviewing priorities. But me, I am thinking about one word – Horsepower. Now it’s not a new car, but the idea of personal or organizational …
Author Archives: Paul
Oz Principle
See it. Own it. Solve it. Do it. Simple words, but powerful implications. I just finished reading the Oz Principle and found it thought provoking. I’ll probably be processing it for the next few days; probably longer. It deals primarily with the A in my CARE model, but also addresses the C, R, and E …
Merlin: Power & Influence
The secret of my influence has always been that it remained secret. ~Salvador Dali Over the weekend I finished watching Merlin. It is probably one of my all-time favorites and I would recommend checking it out if you have time (Netflix). While I am disappointed that there will not be a 6th season, the final …
Progress Not Perfection
“I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence, I can reach for; perfection is God’s business.” Michael J. Fox At one point, the title of my blog was “Progress Not Perfection.” It describes one of my philosophies, but was not comprehensive enough. It is a phrase I say almost daily and use in …
Patience & Procrastination
If patience is a virtue, how does procrastination fit in the picture? I found myself asking that question on the way to the office this morning. Yes, it’s the 5th and I will be one of the few people on campus. So it’s a good time to reflect on the relationship between the two, if …
Collective Rhythm
Two articles caught my attention last week. While they may seem unrelated, because one if from the Chronicle of Higher Education and the other Booz & Company’s Strategy+Business, they really do fit together nicely. At least for me. The first, from the Chronicle, addresses a challenge we’ve been talking about in the ECU COB for …
IT Depts. Have Become Completely Useless
The role of the CIO, the Chief Information Officer, has been debated about as long as the term in itself exists. Rarely before has there been such a misleading description, because in many companies the person assuming the position of CIO was rarely seen as the chief ‘Information’ Officer. People mostly perceived him as “Top …
Importance of a Priorities Compass
I don’t know about you, but there are times when life gets pretty busy for me. Lots of things to do and it seems like I just go from one thing to another. It’s at these times when I find the idea I picked up from Stephen Covey of huge importance. It’s the idea of …
Becoming a Leader
You may be the boss, but are you a leader? Bosses order, leaders persuade. People obey bosses. People follow leaders. Being bossed brings drudgery. Being led brings fulfillment. I read this article by my friend Craig VanSlyke at the start of the new year and have been reflecting on it since. He really does a …
The Journey Begins…Again
I’ve had this site since the mid-90s and it has seen several iterations. Recently it was hacked and it has provided me with an opportunity to reconsider. Over this is time, I’ve also had almost a dozen other sites that I have started with much more focus. Each was devoted to a topic and I …