How to Restore and Refresh for Greater Leadership Results

I’m writing this column from Bethany Beach, Delaware, which has been our family escape for 17 years. As we were packing, I checked quite a few times to make sure we had our chargers, my laptop, and my iPad which I loaded with several business books to read.Fast forward six days… I didn’t read one business book, and I responded to less than 20 emails. Instead, I picked up a great beach read that chronicled how the lives of three very different women interconnected.

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Eight Lessons for Success (And Some Other Insights) by Barbara Corcoran

I had the privilege of speaking at the National Women Business Owners Corporation (NWBOC - www.nwboc.org) conference last week in Palm Beach, Florida. One of the highlights of the conference (where 200 women business owners came together to learn, share, and connect) was keynote Barbara Corcoran. Barbara is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the country. She took a $1,000 loan to start her real estate company, The Corcoran Group, which she grew into a $5 billion business. She sold the firm for $66 million in 2001.Barbara is also a host and investor on ABC's Shark Tank. During the last three seasons, she has bought 11 new businesses. She is also the author of three best-selling books, and is a regular small business and real estate contributor on all of the major networks.Like all great entrepreneurs, Barbara's journey to success has been filled with wonderful lessons. I have summarized them here for you.

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When Your Bedroom Becomes Your Boardroom: (Happily) Working With Your Spouse

Spouses that choose to work together embark on a very unique journey. This arrangement is not a conventional marriage. Two of the hardest things a person can attempt is to build a successful business and a successful marriage. 90 percent of all businesses fail within the first 5 years. The divorce rate (in the U.S.) is now higher than 50 percent. Combine these two endeavors, and you face a lot of risk. There is a lot at stake at home and at work if things get rocky. The levels of expectations for one another are much higher than in a typical business partnership or typical marriage. Consideration must extend much further than, "I have this great business idea, can you help me?"As a follow up to my January 10, 2013 segment on Washington Business Report (http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/02/washington-business-report-feb-10-2013-85006.html) on working with your spouse, I've interviewed several other business owners who have braved this model to learn what makes it work, and how to avoid trouble in paradise. Rather than giving a simple bulleted list of strategies such as "schedule a date night" or "agree not to talk about marriage at home," I'm sharing a more detailed behind-the-scenes glimpse of the complexities of this arrangement. If you are currently working with your spouse, or thinking about it, this is an important column for you.

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Feeding Your 4 Food Groups in 2013: Mind, Body, Heart/Soul, Spirit

Forget the USDA Food Pyramid (at least for the next few minutes). The four food groups that truly nourish us are our Mind, Body, Heart/Soul, and Spirit. When we feed these every day, the rest of life takes care of itself.Here are specific ways you can feed these four food groups in 2013.

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Creating a Culture of High Engagement - And a Future That is Bigger and Better than Your Past

How engaged are you in building a bigger and better future for you, your company, your family, our world?That was one of the questions I pondered as I absorbed every word that Matthew Kelly delivered at a recent Entrepreneurs Organization (www.eonetwork.org) event. Kelly is a master organizational consultant to several Fortune 500 organizations on the issue of employee engagement. He is also the author of the New York Times Best Seller "Off-Balance" and "The Dream Manager." Kelly led 125 entrepreneurs through the thought-provoking exercise of questioning our own engagement, as well as the engagement of those around us, such as our employees.

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My Eight Wishes for You in 2012... From Courage to Contentment

My wish list for everyone in 2012. Happy New Year, and may this year bring you health & happiness, laughter & learning, inner peace to appreciate where you are right now, and just enough restlessness to propel you forward.For 2012, I wish you…Courage. I wish you the gift of courage to make difficult decisions. Courage to pursue a road less traveled if it is where you need to go at this point in time. Courage to submerge yourself in sadness without hesitation when your soul requires it. And courage to claim your own happiness no matter how much others may resist your choices.

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Getting to "I Love What I Do and I'm Great At It."

How much valuable time do you expend on activities that don't fuel your passion or make you struggle? That's the question I considered as I listened to David Siteman Garland talk about the activities that fill our time on a daily basis. David was a special guest at an event hosted by one of the most remarkable networking communities in the DC region called Cadre

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Building Past The Million Dollar Mark: Will It Work for Your Life?

Building a multi-million dollar company can take over your life.Expanding a business requires careful thought about the lifestyle implications, access to money, and a thorough business plan that maps out the path to go from your current state of business to your desired state of business.

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What Is Your Family's Culture?

What family legacy are you creating? What words would a stranger use to describe your family if they met you for the first time? More importantly, what words would your kids use to describe your family?Many business leaders build vision statements and a core value system for their organizations. They have clearly defined rules of engagement, and roles & responsibilities for key players. They reward achievement and performance, and penalize for performance infractions.

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Culture of Greatness Begins Within You

To perform at a level of greatness, we need to commit to a higher level of energy, time, and effort than most. To quote Gandhi, "As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world, as in being able to remake ourselves."We all have the power to lead our business, our family, and ourselves in greatness. To accomplish this, we have to plan.

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