Speaking of Leadership® Blog

Phil Holberton

Phil Holberton

Dedicated to helping you achieve your maximum potential



The Laws of Inbound

Reading Time: < 1 minutePeter Drucker once remarked that the best business in the world was a mailbox to which people sent money. While this may be ideal, most businesses require some intermediate steps; such as lead generation. Historically, lead generation required many outbound activities by sales and marketing.  Social media has turned that on its head and

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Eat Last, Don’t Learn Last

Reading Time: < 1 minuteAn old leadership proverb is that “leaders eat last” and a new book bearing that title by Simon Sinek explores the topic well. However, one area where leaders “eat last” at their peril is failing to invest in their own development as well as that of their team.  Vistage’s Chief Research Officer, Joe

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Bill and TED’s Excellent Playlist

Reading Time: < 1 minuteMicrosoft Founder Bill Gates not only revolutionized, some say invented, the personal computer industry as we know it, he is also making a significant impact on the world through the Gates Foundation run by him and his wife Melinda. Whatever his endeavors, he has learned to rely on facts. To

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What We Can Learn About Leadership From Sports

Reading Time: 3 minutesReposting an oldie (but a goodie) from March 2014 I have a son Tod who plays squash in college – I have always been fascinated with the sport (I could never play it). Watching him grow upand attending many of his matches, I learned how difficult a sport it is

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Managing & Leading: What are the Differences?

Reading Time: 2 minutesI often get confused between Managing and Leading – after all aren’t they one and the same? I soon discovered that managing is squeezing efficiency out of the system.  It is largely about productivity – how can I get more units of output per labor hour.  How do you think

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Are Leaders Born or Are Leaders Made?

Reading Time: 2 minutesMy own view is Leaders are like professionals (sports, arts, etc.): Some have more natural talent than others, yet it is the growth in this talent that propels them into a level of mastery. The most important point is we have to want to grow our talent at an emotional level, not

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The Leadership Journey: How to Communicate so People Will Listen

Reading Time: 4 minutesI have been hanging around the leadership arena for many years, and I can’t tell you how many mistakes I have made along the way with my communications. Why is this so? I know what to do, but my mind races ahead. I recognize I have the words to say

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The IKEA Effect

Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe founder of Ikea, Ingvar Kamprad passed away on January 31. His extraordinary success (he was number 10 on the world’s richest persons list) by bringing a new business model to an old category is the stuff of business legends. What was so different about his offering? Vistage’s premier speaker

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Are You a Pusher?

Reading Time: < 1 minuteNo, not the kind that word generally brings to mind…. I mean as a leader are you a “pusher?” Patrick Lencioni author of “Five Temptations of a CEO” and “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” says you should be. Learn why he says  “Leaders are Pushers.”

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American Gentlemen

Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe #MeToo Movement began in 2017 with the revelations of the actions of Harvey Weinstein and others who used their positions of power to sexually harass the women around them. WSJ columnist and Reagan White House speech writer Peggy Noonan reflects on this travesty, reminding us that this is an old

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Set the Tone for a Successful Career

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