Two Are Gathered Leadership Podcast

One of the single most important traits of a successful entrepreneur is perseverance. You can't reach the prize, if you're too quick to quit when times get tough. But, actually the pathway to success is much more complicated than just having perseverance. You need to know how to use it properly. This is because there is a thin line between perseverance and delusion.  Get this wrong, and you're goi...

All leaders make mistakes. And, because we are so stubborn and persistent, oftentimes these mistakes turn into huge messes. Just like mistakes, messes can turn into learning opportunities with the chance to ultimately move our organizations forward in a multitude of positive ways.  Yet, there is still the initial the problem of cleaning up these messes. And, it's easily one of the least enjoyable...

To most normal human beings, taking vacations is pure pleasure. Not so for us entrepreneurs. It can be expensive in terms of lost productivity, missed opportunities and a slowdown of our business momentum. And, that's all before we pay for the airline tickets. Still, vacations are important for spending time with family, clearing our heads and being refreshed for the next stage of the journey. Joi...

If you've been a leader for any length of time, then one thing is for certain: you've had to deal with your fair share of bad news. Bad news comes in many forms and from all directions as you're responsible for people, money and performance.  Obviously, it's the goal of every entrepreneur to minimize the amount of bad news occurring in the business on a daily basis, but much of it is difficult to...

Confrontation is inevitable if you're a leader. In fact, it's an important part of your job description. If there is a critical issue in your organization you can't just ignore it and hope it will go away. You will be expected by your team and clients to take it on with skill and professionalism.  Good leaders shouldn't seek out confrontation, but they shouldn't back down from it either. Join Mich...

Being a leader is a big deal. It comes with big responsibilities and big risks and rewards. Yet, most experienced entrepreneurs and leaders will share with you that it's the little things that make a big difference when it comes to success or failure. This attention to detail is often what sets leaders apart. Join Michael and Jim as they discuss the keys to winning big with the little things of bu...

Negotiation is one of the most significant skills required for successful leadership.  If you're an entrepreneur, your ability to negotiate with expertise and integrity will make or break your business.  Many people mistakenly believe that negotiation skills are something you're born with and you either "have it" or "you don't".  The truth is, any leader can develop themselves into a fine negotiat...

It's always a challenge when you are the boss of yourself. Who is going to hold you accountable? Who is going to make sure you perform your duties with excellence? So many entrepreneurs launch a business without really working this dilemma out properly. And, that can lead to disaster for the business. Self-discipline is an extraordinarily important skill for entrepreneurs and one that needs to con...

It's the biggest question an entrepreneur will face. Or at least it should be. That is, "What is the appropriate level of risk for me and this organization?"  This question should be wrestled with at every phase of the entrepreneurial journey starting with the launch and continuing through every subsequent business milestone. Most business owners fail to realize just how complicated and layered th...

Let's face it. As leaders, we are among the world's worst control freaks.  Although we are blessed with the gift of leadership, it often comes attached to an unrelenting desire to have everything go exactly the way we want it go. This leads to an unhealthy and unattainable goal of controlling everything around us, including our best people. It's proven to be the downfall of many great visions and...

Most leaders and entrepreneurs excel at being focused, clear visioned and persistent.  Which is exactly why we often struggle the most when it comes to making a change. Change gets in the way of our momentum.  Still, great leaders know that people, markets, and the world itself are in a constant state of change, and if we aren't adapting, we'll rapidly fall behind.  The hardest things for a leader...

For entrepreneurs, there is joy in the pursuit of success. Unfortunately, another common emotion experienced by business owners is the fear of failure.  In small measures, it can provide a high level of focus and a healthy drive for achieving goals. Yet, when it reaches toxic levels, this fear of failure can be crippling and cause profound stress and sleeplessness. Join Michael and Jim as they dis...

Everybody loves winning a deal. It's even exciting when you get to put that shovel in the dirt on that new project.  Yet, this is not where the money is really made. It's in the final stages of a project or in the delivery of a product when the contract is fulfilled. It's only then when you get fully paid. Cleaning up isn't fun. It isn't glamorous. But, it may be the most important requirement of...

Everyone wants a highly motivated team. Few find this objective easy to accomplish. Don't be hard on yourself. It's not just you. The external challenges you're facing make your task more difficult than this was in the past. And, even the best leaders are constantly having to innovate new ways to keep the fires burning in the hearts of their people. It's difficult to inspire their teams to excel d...

It's one of the hot buzzwords today. Leaders should be transparent, they say. But, what does this really mean? And who exactly should these leaders be transparent with? In these times of social media, one thing said wrong can sink an entrepreneurial ship overnight. At the same time, these days you can't operate in a cave and hope to be successful. Join Michael and Jim as they explore in significan...

When you start a business, you need to take on just about any job or opportunity that comes your way. Yet, before long, as your capacity fills, this approach can rapidly get you into trouble. Pretty soon, you'll be knee deep in profit killing activity and your reputation will start to decline. The word "no" is one of the most powerful ones in an entrepreneur's toolkit, yet it's rarely used to its...

If you've been hiring employees for a while, then you've certainly discovered some real gems. And, most likely, you've probably picked a few bad apples as well. It's truly just part of running a business. You'll never get it right all of the time. What exactly do you do with that problem employee? What kind of leadership tactics can you use to turn things around?  Join Michael and Jim as they disc...

Rarely a day goes by when leaders aren't under some sort of pressure. There is pressure to keep up with the bills. Pressure to keep your clients, employees and vendors happy. On top of this, there is the pressure of meeting the expectations of your family, friends and your harshest critic...yourself. With all of this stress, why do leaders get themselves in this mess in the first place? The simple...

There is strength in humility. Many people would agree with this statement, but when it comes to leadership, how does this really play out? No one wants to follow someone without any confidence in themselves or the vision they are pursuing. Yet, it's also clear that few members of your team are going to be excited about following you if you're arrogant and always taking all of the credit. Join Mic...

This is a confusing time for leaders. Many of us strive to be individuals who care about the people on our team. At the same time, you never want to cross any boundaries in terms of the privacy of your staff. After all, they are responsible to you during their work hours, but for the most part, what they choose to do on their own time is their own business. Join Michael and Jim as they discuss thi...

Do you ever feel like you're on a losing streak in your business? When you can't seem to win a big sale...or any at all? Or when you're seemingly hit with more bad news every day? Maybe you're experiencing those hard times right now. The challenge is not only trying to snap yourself back into the win column, but you have to do it why leading others. No simple task! Join Michael and Jim as they off...

You NEED to trust you people. Every leader embraces this concept on an intellectual basis. However; it's the application of it that takes many a lifetime to master. The challenge is a leader's individual trust, reputation and fiscal health is on the line every moment of every day. Trusting this responsibility to others with less at stake can be a challenge. Albeit a necessary one if you're going t...

Time. It is a leader's most precious commodity because it's typically the resource which is the scarcest in supply. In order to build a more profitable, more productive company, a leader needs to acquire the productivity mindset. You need to be more efficient in order for your team to be more efficient. Join Michael and Jim as they share unique tactics for enhancing your productivity. 

One of the greatest challenges in making the leap to becoming an entrepreneur is figuring out how you'll be able to replace your current paycheck. Unless you are independently wealthy and don't need to worry about generating income from your business, you're going to need to solve this problem early on in your entrepreneurial journey. Should you pay yourself when you're launching your business...a...

Just because you wear the title of business owner, doesn't necessarily mean you're a good leader. And, in almost all cases, if you want to win on your bottom line, you've got to win with your people.  The good news is that although some are more innately gifted at leadership than others, everyone can take their performance to a higher level. Join Michael and Jim as they lay down some priceless gui...