Many leaders know the way to go, but their organizations are not healthy enough to make the necessary changes. A few years ago, to avoid an unexpected negative business situation, one of my partners suggested we hire 90 people within three months in one of the countries where we serve. The senior leadership agreed, so […]

In 1990 at the age of 14, I emigrated with my family to the US from Lebanon. I came from Beirut to Mobile, Alabama—quite a difference in culture to say the least. As I learned the customs of the United States, I noticed a difference in the perception of family between cultures. The family unit […]

I recently met with a notable CEO who told me, “I have been telling my staff that we need to focus on two words: growth and acceleration.”  Wow. I love it. Two words though? That’s it? Can you summarize everything you want your team to focus on for the next six months to a year […]

Is there a story here? A story that resonates? This is a question you and I should ask ourselves as leaders. I learned to be alert to a story from a PR executive I encountered in a ministry I volunteer with. He is always on the hunt for a good story he can share with […]

Almost every business today must contend with Google and online reviews. To that end, we—and the rest of the world at large—hear what customers have to say about us. While this provides valuable feedback, smart organizations achieve even more through market research. Let me ask you a few questions about your business. In the town […]

Marketing success can be summarized in these four words: Winning hearts and minds. Continuing from yesterday’s article, this advice from a marketing executive really struck home. Winning hearts and minds hit home with me because these four words perfectly depict how I feel about leadership. I shared an illustration yesterday detailing how the phrase describes […]

Leadership success can be summed up in these four words: Winning hearts and minds. A few weeks ago, I had a consulting visit with a marketing executive who said marketing is about winning hearts and minds (a topic I will share more on tomorrow). As she said these words, I thought to myself, this sounds […]

For me, the word marketing has long been associated with a medley of angst, vexation, and exacerbation. Starting my professional journey as a physician, I just wanted to do a good job. I did not want to concern myself with creating ads, billboards, and flaunting my successes on social media. But my view of marketing […]

One of the more peculiar habits I have, which I learned from a mentor, is to observe dedicated thinking time. Just as it was strange to me when I first heard the concept, it is strange to most when I tell them about it. What is thinking time? A scheduled time, not rushed, in which […]

A few months ago I went to the Dominican Republic (DR) with a ministry I serve with. When we boarded the transportation bus, the leader in charge of the DR arm of the ministry kept asking everyone, “Are you excited?” She seemed excited. She frequently demanded a response from us. When we returned to the […]

For many years, a close friend and business advisor told me that I must have a strategic roadmap, a five to ten year plan, but I resisted. Like many leaders with an entrepreneurial bent, I enjoy the freedom of the open road. I am always looking for new opportunities. Once I understood all the planning […]

Why was I born? Why did God create me? And to do what? When we ask these questions because we seek an answer in the form of a profession or a list of tasks from God, we err. Why were we born? We were born to be united with God. Full stop. From that unity […]