Culture, Employees, Engagement, Entrepreneurs Organiza..., Entrepreneurship, Featured Posts, Growth, Information Experts, Leadership, Learning, Management, Marketing, Motivation, Success, Successful Culture, Verne Harnish Culture, Employees, Engagement, Entrepreneurs Organiza..., Entrepreneurship, Featured Posts, Growth, Information Experts, Leadership, Learning, Management, Marketing, Motivation, Success, Successful Culture, Verne Harnish

Where Has Marissa Been?

Information Experts (www.informationexperts.com) has gone through A LOT of changes these last few months. These changes have been QUITE an educational journey for me. Honestly, there were times when I wanted to write a column, and I was paralyzed. The words just wouldn't flow. I felt as if I had nothing valuable to share because my own leadership circumstances were so perplexing to me. I lost my footing, and questioned whether I had any right to share my insights and lessons.Now that I have emerged in a better place, I look forward to sharing my experiences with you as I continue to process how they have shaped my company, and shaped me as a person, mentor, and leader.On a positive note, these past two months have provided me with many opportunities to help others through my speaking.

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2012, Culture, Entrepreneurs Organiza..., Entrepreneurship, Featured Posts, Leadership, Learning, Management, Marketing, Steve Jobs, Success, Verne Harnish 2012, Culture, Entrepreneurs Organiza..., Entrepreneurship, Featured Posts, Leadership, Learning, Management, Marketing, Steve Jobs, Success, Verne Harnish

Verne Harnish's Pearls of Entrepreneurial Wisdom: A Global Perspective

The evening of Monday August 20th was a night to remember. Verne Harnish, who is Founder of Entrepreneurs Organization (EO), Founder and CEO of Gazelles, Venture Columnist for Fortune Magazine, and Author of the international bestseller "Mastering the Rockefeller Habits," spoke to the Washington DC Chapter 0f EO. His visit was especially meaningful because EO is celebrating its 25th year, and the DC chapter was the inaugural EO chapter.Harnish brings more than 30 years of entrepreneurship experience, a global perspective, and an unmatched understanding of what business owners require to build lasting companies. Fifty business owners gathered at the home of our chapter president for education and inspiration from the individual who was responsible for creating the world's largest entrepreneurial community.

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Culture, Employees, Engagement, Entrepreneurship, Failure, Featured Posts, Growth, Hiring, Information Experts, Leadership, Learning, Management, Marketing, Success, Successful Culture, Time management Culture, Employees, Engagement, Entrepreneurship, Failure, Featured Posts, Growth, Hiring, Information Experts, Leadership, Learning, Management, Marketing, Success, Successful Culture, Time management

When the CEO Must Become the CPO (Chief Process Officer)

Traditionally, the CEO is responsible for the "heart" of the organization... the vision, culture, mission, strategy, and values. They are the "Chief Evangelist Officer," or the "Chief Cultural Officer" or even the "Chief Emotions Officer" (yes I've seen that one too).Conversely, it's usually the COO that is responsible for the "blood and guts of the organization" - the person that ensures the operations within the organization can support the vision.Strategy & Process are InterdependentExperience - backed up by a lot of research and peer consultation - has taught me that strategy and process are two sides of the same coin, and that the CEO must take ownership for the creation of the core processes that enable a business to run. It doesn't matter how strong a vision is. Without the processes required to execute, the strategy will fall flat. And while I absolutely believe that "culture eats strategy for breakfast," the one essential element that organizations require for healthy strategies, cultures, and ultimately growth is process.

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Culture, Employees, Entrepreneurship, Failure, Featured Posts, Growth, Information Experts, Leadership, Learning, Management, Marketing, Motivation, Napoleon Hill, Success, Successful Culture, Time management Culture, Employees, Entrepreneurship, Failure, Featured Posts, Growth, Information Experts, Leadership, Learning, Management, Marketing, Motivation, Napoleon Hill, Success, Successful Culture, Time management

Your Greatest Success Lies Directly Behind Your Greatest Challenges

"Every adversity, every failure and every heartache carries with it the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit."This is just one of the golden nuggets of wisdom that stays with me from one of my all-time favorite business books, "Three Feet From Gold" by by Sharon L. Lechter and Greg S. Reid. (http://threefeetaway.com/). The book is a synopsis of Napoleon Hill's philosophies for success (http://www.naphill.org/).The title conveys that people often give up on their dreams because they believe they can't succeed, when in reality, their success is within their grasp - sometimes literally three feet away.Feeling discouragement or even despair when we've convinced ourselves that success isn't an option happens to everyone. So how can we push past the negative thinking? How can we find the strength and resolve to continue for three more feet to find our own pot of gold?

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