Entries by Christopher Kolenda
Understanding the Great Resignation of 2021: What Leaders and Consultants are Getting Wrong
Some Americans are resigning to find new careers. For the most part, people are moving within industries or roles. The Great Resignation is The Great Reshuffling. Joe bragged about berating a hotel desk agent for a problem with his room. “He was worthless to me. I yelled at him. He yelled back at me and then […]
Powerful Forecasts: 2022 and Beyond for Consultants, Experts, and Leaders
I Focused my Forecasts for 2022 and Beyond on Trends most Relevant for Small Businesses, Consultants, and Experts. I’ll host an 8-week mastermind group in January to discuss the implications of these forecasts and others so that you can provide vital thought leadership to your clients and anticipate the future for your business. 1. The Inflation bubble bursts. […]
2022 Prediction: Small Businesses will Fail at Historic Rates
The pressures of low or negative margins and employee turnover will create a downward spiral for many small businesses. CEOs will work longer hours and get consumed in problem-solving, which heightens the risks of expensive mistakes. They’ll lack the bandwidth to innovate, so the margins will continue shrinking until the business is no longer sustainable.
How to Support the Fallen Hero Honor Ride: Their stories are frozen in time. Their 6 legacies, however, live.
6 paratroopers from my unit in Afghanistan were killed in action. They served and sacrificed so that Americans could pursue their dreams in peace and safety. Each one died executing the orders that I gave them. The Fallen Hero Honor Ride is a 1700-mile bicycle ride to visit their graves and raise funds for scholarship […]
What an Afghan Hero Taught Me about Thanksgiving 2021
I’m dedicating this Thanksgiving to the exemplars in my life. I’m thankful for Iqbal. He and his family arrived in America with only the clothes on their backs. A group of us visited him in Seattle this weekend. Iqbal worked his way from being a day-laborer on our outpost in Afghanistan to a cultural advisor […]
What the Great Resignation and the Big Election Beatdown Have in Common
In August, over 4 million Americans quit their jobs — the so-called Great Resignation — despite COVID unemployment supplements expiring. Last Tuesday’s election delivered shockers such as a Republican winning Virginia’s gubernatorial election and Minneapolis, Seattle, and other cities rejecting Defund the Police advocates. Common to these seemingly disparate events are a backlash against the […]
Gratitude: a Simple Way to Sustain Balance
How do I intend to spend my time Leading a balanced life is not a matter of dividing time. It’s being clear on your priorities and ensuring that you meet commitments in the important aspects of your life. It’s easy to drift. You let your email inbox become your daily to-do list and get sucked […]
Small Businesses Win when they Think Like David, not Like Goliath
Small businesses can innovate faster than big businesses. Iran is building drones that fire ship-killing missiles while nerds with laptops launch business-crippling cyberattacks. The English longbow defeated the heavily armored French knight. “Two thousand pounds of education,” Kipling lamented of British officers shot down by rifle-wielding Pashtun fighters, “Drops to a ten-rupee jezail.” Problem-solving restores […]
Upcoming Leaders Opportunity at Antietam & Gettysburg this December – LIMITED AVAILIBILITY
I’m delighted to offer you the opportunity to join me and six other leaders at my Antietam & Gettysburg exclusive event, December 7-10.The battlefields will build your imagination for the action steps to make 2022 your best year ever. Among the topics we typically discuss: *Action steps to put the right leaders on the scene and […]