Blog / ChangeThis

What If Sellers Behaved as Leaders?

By Deb Calvert

"It is time we start making a shift. Research shows you can make more sales by abandoning sales-y behaviors buyers resist and replacing them with leadership behaviors buyers desire. Sellers do extraordinary things when they stop pushing people to buy before they're ready, and start guiding buyers by transforming values into actions, visions into realities, obstacles into innovations, separateness into solidarity, and risks into rewards."

Blog / ChangeThis

Don't Suck Up, Manage Up: How to Work Well with the Boss You Have, Not Wish You Had

By Mary Abbajay

"As much as we would love to believe that the workplace is (or should be) a meritocracy, where just being great at our job is all we need to succeed, reality tells a different story. The real (and inconvenient) truth is that the workplace is a social system—meaning we have to work with, among, through (and sometimes around) other people. And in a social system, relationships matter—a lot. Our ability to cultivate and manage effective workplace relationships is essential for career success. Positive, respectful, and collaborative relationships create positive workplace experiences and results. Poor relationships produce poor experiences and results. And at the end of the day, just being good at our job is not enough. We must deliver great work while simultaneously being good at relationships—up, down, and across the organization. Developing effective relationships with our colleagues is important for career success, but developing a positive and productive relationship with our boss is absolutely critical to our success.

Blog / ChangeThis

The Speed Trap: When Taking Your Time (Really) Matters

By Tom Peters

"Speed-for-speed's-sake is about the most counterproductive* approach imaginable. (*I use counterproductive because it's impolite to use "stupid"—which is what I really believe.) While we must indeed evolve and experiment rapidly, the process of getting things done (especially radical-ish things that upset apple carts) is all about people. And working with people to get those interesting things done effectively, well, takes time, in fact lots of time."

Blog / ChangeThis

Finding the Magic in "Tiny" Business

By Porchlight

"Maybe you have an idea, either brewing or formed. Maybe you're tired of selling little bits of yourself in order to buy lattes and avocado toast, or maybe, what you're doing isn't quite enough to pay the rent. Maybe you want to use your voice to make an impact, to 'create the change you want to see in the world.' Whatever your motivation, if you are ready to start something new, bring a new idea to life in the open market or challenge an existing idea, you are starting your entrepreneurial journey. Maybe you've learned some things in school or picked them up on the street. Maybe you're totally green and all you have is your enthusiasm. This is the day when, as Seth Godin says, you decide to 'pick yourself' and put your eggs in your own basket to proceed. Most people will say you have to 'go big or go home,' but why not 'go tiny' and be able to go home when you want?"

Blog / Excerpts

Next Is Now: 5 Steps for Embracing ChangeBuilding a Business that Thrives into the Future

By Porchlight

Lior Arussy, in this excerpt from his new book _Next Is Now_, discusses "The Secret to Employee Engagement."

Blog / Book Giveaways

Pick Three: You Can Have It All (Just Not Every Day)

By Porchlight

Randi Zuckerberg found that the secret to a more balanced life overall was, ironically, to live lopsided day to day—and she'll teach you how.

Blog / Editor's Choice

Would You Do That to Your Mother?: The "Make Mom Proud" Standard for How to Treat Your Customers

Book Review by Porchlight

Jeanne Bliss provides a single question that will make our businesses better, in every sense of the word "better."

Blog / Staff Picks

10 Books for New Graduates

Book Review by Porchlight

These ten books make perfect gifts for your new grads, as they begin to navigate the Rest of Their Lives.

Blog / Book Giveaways

The Perfectionists: How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World

By Porchlight

Simon Winchester's history of precision engineering is surprisingly wide-ranging and entertaining, and helped by the beauty and eloquence of his writing.

Blog / Editor's Choice

High-Speed Empire: Chinese Expansion and the Future of Southeast Asia

Book Review by Porchlight

Will Doig's book on Chinese expansion is a quick and concise guide through that terrain that will take you just a few hours.