Tag: success

You can’t lead if others aren’t willing to follow

by Dan Oswald What makes a great leader? That question has spurned endless debate and discussion for centuries. In business, we strive to identify those with strong leadership skills and put them in positions where they can lead others. I was a having a conversation about leadership with a business colleague the other day. At […]

Optimism is a powerful tool in overcoming adversity in the workplace

This week’s Oswald Letter is a guest post from Elizabeth Petersen, BLR’s executive vice president of strategy and revenue. by Elizabeth Petersen Every company has at least one: the employee who finds fault in everything. Her cries of, “The company never does anything for us!” are followed by, “They think they can buy our affection!” […]

Leadership lessons from New England Patriots

by Dan Oswald Sunday night, the New England Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons in the greatest comeback in the Super Bowl’s 51-year history. None of us should have been surprised. The Patriots have had more success in this millennium than any of the other 31 teams in the NFL. Since head coach Bill Belichick and […]

Ensure your team is working together for a common goal

by Dan Oswald Our newly inaugurated president is in the midst of selecting the team he will work with to achieve his vision for our country. And while, in his case, many of those selections will require congressional approval, they are nonetheless his choices. It’s an interesting process to watch. Imagine recruiting and hiring your […]

empathy

Long-term success requires looking beyond just the results

by Dan Oswald There’s an old story that goes like this: A man walks into a bar and asks the bartender for a glass of water. Instead, the bartender pulls out a shotgun and fires a shot, just missing the man. Satisfied, the man places a nice tip on the bar, turns, and walks out. […]

How to win by losing strategically

by Elizabeth Petersen This contribution is the second in a two-part series from BLR Executive Vice President Elizabeth Petersen about business lessons learned through sports. Rugby has taught me innumerable life and business lessons, and today I pay homage to the nameless French Canadian who taught me how to lose strategically. But first, an introduction […]

Bring your parents to work and show them what they helped you achieve

by Dan Oswald Recently, one of my colleagues suggested that we have a “bring your parents to work” day at the company. It’s a great idea and one that I, frankly, would have never thought of even though it makes perfect sense. Many companies have a “bring your kids to work” day, although many people […]

Has your work become . . . well, work?

by Dan Oswald What is it you really love to do? Sometimes we lose sight of that and end up settling for something much less. If you don’t love what you do, you won’t do it with much conviction or passion. —Mia Hamm What’s the saying, “Find something you love to do, and you won’t […]

First step in fixing a problem is admitting you have one

by Dan Oswald It’s the evening of September 11, 2016, as I write this, the 15th anniversary of the attacks on our country that resulted in 2,996 deaths. If you’re like me, you remember both the horrific and the heroic from that day. I’ll never forget the scenes of destruction that resulted from the cowardly […]

Olympics offer important lessons for all of us

by Dan Oswald I was watching the 2016 Summer Olympic Games with my family over the weekend. I can’t help but get caught up in everything they represent. There is a certain amount of patriotism that comes with each Olympics as we cheer on the athletes from the United States. I’m sure there are moments […]