ChangeThis
The original idea behind ChangeThis came from Seth Godin, and was built in the summer of 2004 by Amit Gupta, Catherine Hickey, Noah Weiss, Phoebe Espiritu, and Michelle Sriwongtong. In the summer of 2005, ChangeThis was turned over to 800-CEO-READ. In addition to selling and writing about books, they kept ChangeThis up and running as a standalone website for 14 years. In 2019, 800-CEO-READ became Porchlight, and we pulled ChangeThis together with the rest of our editorial content under the website you see now. We remain committed to the high-design quality and independent spirit of the original team that brought ChangeThis into the world.
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Blog / ChangeThis
Seizing Success: How Mindset Makes It Happen
By Baldev Seekri
"For most of us, success is like a mirage. We desperately need it, we keep on hoping that it is in our grasp, and it keeps on eluding us. Despite countless success stories and alluring success recipes from mystics, our journey toward this mirage goes on unabated, filled with wishful thinking and shattered dreams. There are countless books on the subject of success, but with few exceptions, they approach success from the wrong angle. They preach about how success can be achieved quickly and retained forever, and they are hooked on the methodology and the management of success, not on the most fundamental piece of the puzzle: our mindset of success. While methodology and management of success are certainly essential pieces, the total answer resides in attitude—the mindset that defines the quality of our life and is the architect of our successes and failures. A flawed mindset forces us to put the cart before the horse and tempts us to make our search for success a long, meaningless journey.
Categories: changethis
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Blog / ChangeThis
Want to be a Great Leader? Learn to "Be the Fulcrum"
By Mike Lerario
"Are Great Leaders Born or Made? [...] Great leaders are born, but only because we were all born; born with different traits, characteristics and abilities. But not everyone uses their talents to the best effect. We all know talented people who for one reason or another never reach their full potential. It might be that they lacked the drive to succeed or that they lacked a good coach to help them hone their innate skills. An athlete with slightly above average skill can compensate with hard work and determination to become a great player. Some call this Grit (the Cleveland Indians have even turned it into an acronym: Growth mindset, Routine, Individual mechanics, Team first approach) but there is no doubt that we can all become better, even elite, if we put in the work. Therefore, great leaders are born AND made."
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Blog / ChangeThis
What If Everyone Brought Their Soul to Work?
By Scott Moorehead, Ryan McCarty
"We've been taught that making a profit is somehow evil—that businesses are unethical and greedy and that it's only nonprofits that deliver any good in the world. It's like someone has asked us to check our soul at the door anytime we show up for work. Giving back and making a positive difference in the world is just something you do on your own time after you've collected your paycheck. But what if we told you that profit can be the fuel that empowers you to do some serious good in the world? What would happen if we intentionally tore down those walls that separate us from going to work and giving back—where everyone was given permission to do good while they did their work? Think about how that would even affect your customers; how do you think they'd react if they were given the chance to see the kind of positive impact the dollars they spend can have on the world?"
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Blog / ChangeThis
Death or Glory in the Digital Age of Marketing
By Ben Legg
"We are over halfway through a massive transformation of the advertising industry. Smartphone penetration is getting close to 100% in many parts of the world and it won't be too long (maybe 2-3 years) before most TV and video viewing is streamed on demand and most newspapers and magazines will be read on a screen. At that point, almost all marketing will be digital. In parallel, the amount of data about your customers (and potential customers) is growing exponentially. These two trends are converging to destroy mass marketing, along with the associated slow planning timelines and wasted budgets. To succeed in this new world, the marketing function needs to reinvent itself fast, and it won't be easy."
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Blog / ChangeThis
The Ten Commandments of Startup Profit
By Ed McLaughlin, Wyn Lydecker
"From the beginning, I organized my business, USI, around 10 core profit principles. I call these principles The Ten Commandments of Startup Profit. By factoring profit into every business decision, USI generated a 20% operating profit margin, while growing our revenues at a 40% compounded annual rate. You can use this concentrated list of profit principles to benchmark your business and its potential for generating profit. [...] Understanding these profit principles and applying them to your business can increase the probability of your long-term success and improve your returns along the way."
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Blog / ChangeThis
The Entrepreneur's Manifesto: Habits of a More Resilient Business Leader
By Rhett Power
"Did you know that there are roughly 27.9 million business owners and entrepreneurs in the United States who work in their business every day but are unhappy, stressed, and not thriving? I should know, I was one of them. [...] At that point, I was forced to step away and take a really good look at my company, and at myself, to analyze the things that were holding Wild Creations back. That was when I realized it was going take more than a few quick fixes to transform this company into a success. I couldn't just run a business. I needed to devote myself to the business; daily. I knew immediately that the changes that needed to be made were going to have to start with me. I had been helping other people develop their businesses for years, but in reality, I had no idea how to develop my own. I knew that in order to succeed in this endeavor, I would have to evolve into a stronger, smarter, and more resilient business leader."
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Blog / ChangeThis
Leadership Imperatives To Achieve The Holy Grail of Business: Long-Term Growth
By Leonard Sherman
"Given increasing globalization and technological disruption, it is becoming harder than ever for companies to sustain growth. ... These harsh realities point to two burning questions of relevance to all senior executives: Why is it so hard for companies to sustain above-market business performance? What can companies do to beat the odds and crack the code to securing the holy grail of business: long-term profitable growth? The answers are rooted in the challenge of mastering three key leadership skills essential to drive long-term business growth: customer centricity, continuous experimentation, and ruthless patience. Fortunately, executives can realistically aspire to become growth superstars, even if wistfully accepting the elusiveness of Hall of Fame acclaim in other endeavors."
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Blog / ChangeThis
Intentional Action: How Leaders Succeed
By Courtney Lynch
"While we never know exactly how many days are ahead of us, it can be quite valuable as leaders to see the expanse of runway in our futures. Whether we have five years or 25 years to retirement, knowing that we have time to recommit, reinvent or redo a decision is comforting. We are only stuck in time if we choose to be. I encourage you to imagine what's next, what's left or what's still in your heart to become, and then take intentional actions toward bringing that vision to life. Embracing the now includes understanding longevity and respecting that we are all still works in progress."
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Blog / ChangeThis
HACKING INNOVATION
By Josh Linkner
"Having studied all kinds of hackers—from the illicit exploits of cybercriminals to the kindhearted researchers who hack in order to eradicate disease—there are some common shared philosophies ... hacker mindsets are the foundation to innovative thinking. This set of beliefs will serve as the underpinning for your own hacking exploits, and allow you to build a hacking culture in your own organization."
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Blog / ChangeThis
The 2017 Trust Outlook: A Look at the Landscape and Impact of Trust from The Boardroom to the Living Room
By David Horsager
"Right now in the U.S., a lack of trust is costing organizations billions of dollars each year. Regardless of size or industry, trust is a factor whose presence can lead to huge rewards but whose absence can mean devastating losses. This is the case both internally with employees and externally with customers because trust doesn't stay within the confines of one area of life or business. When corporate and business leaders understand and act on the importance of trust, how it is measured, and how it is built, they will reap tremendous benefits throughout their organizations. From bottom-line profits to employee retention, the business case is clear for this study, understanding, and building of trust. [...] Increased trust leads to better organizations and more trusted industries."
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