THOSE CHICKENS WILL COME HOME TO ROOST

"To achieve great things we must live as though we were never going to die."

Marquis de Vauvenargues

18th century French moralist, essayist, and writer

And manage that way as well.

Because if you were to live forever you would have to face the consequences of your management decisions.

If you don't want to do that manage as though you could.

THE (COULD BE BUT MAYBE NOT) REWARD

"The reward of suffering is experience."

Aeschylus

5th century BC Greek dramatist

Well, maybe.

It's only a reward if you learn from and act positively on what you experienced.

WE WON! (WHAT?)

"I would rather lose in a cause that will some day win, than win in a cause that will some day lose!"

Woodrow T. Wilson

Twenty-eighth President of the USA

Suggesting "winning" is relative.

Make sure what you work hard to win is worth the effort.

I MEAN THIS SINCERELY

"Hypocrisy is the homage that vice pays to virtue."

François de La Rochefoucauld

17th century French writer

And you have to look closely to know when you're dealing with hypocrisy, including when it's you being the hypocrite.

I HAVE A PLAN

"It is because Humanity has never known where it was going that it has been able to find its way."

Oscar Wilde

19th century Irish poet and dramatist

A statement that would appear to argue against planning.

Don't bet on it.

Knowing it doesn't know where it is going, humanity, at least the smart ones amongst us, works to determine not only where it is but where it wants to go, planning appropriately to get there.

And those who don't simply get swept along.

RULES RULES

"The wise know that foolish legislation is a rope of sand, which perishes in the twisting."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

19th century U.S. poet, essayist and lecturer

Rules are necessary, the good ones at least.

Be careful which rules you make and even more so those you attempt to enforce.

I PERMANENTLY BELIEVE THIS IS TEMPORARILY TRUE

"Never make permanent decisions based on temporary feelings."

Unknown

The trick is knowing when you are doing the first and which are the latter.

How do you do that?

YOU DON'T (ALWAYS) HAVE TO BE RIGHT

"Be more aware of responsibility than you are of your rights."

Unknown

When it comes to . . . 

   . . . your dealings with co-workers.

   . . .  family relations.

   . . . a bicyclist riding in the road ahead of you.

Literally everyone you can think of in every situation.

A LAUGHING MATTER

"If I am not allowed to laugh in heaven, I don't want to go there."

Martin Luther 

15th century German priest and scholar

Nor work for that matter.

Memo to the boss: Lighten up! 

There's nothing wrong and plenty good about having fun at work.

I FIND THIS HARD TO BELIEVE

"Incredulity is the wisdom of the fool."

Josh Billings

19th century American humorist and lecturer

But only if what you are incredulous about results in you acting, or not, when you should or should not have.

WHAT DO YOU KNOW?

"Some students drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle."

Unknown

Not just students.

We're all occasionally guilty of "learning" we never use.

PARTNERS

"By the time a partnership dissolves, it has dissolved."

John Updike

20th century American writer

The best way I know to end a friendship is to become partners

Works for marriages too.

Not always, but often enough.

FEARING . . . ?

"Fear always springs from ignorance."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

19th century U.S. poet, essayist, lecturer

Ignorance about things that often never happen.

The next time you are afraid, take time to learn all you can about what you fear.

In many cases you will find it doesn't exist.

ON SECOND THOUGHT, I'LL POST THIS TOMORROW

"Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried."

Unknown

And BTW this is just as true in your personal life as it is your professional life.

You can hope things will go as you wish but it's up to you to see that they do.

MANAGEMENT ESSENCE

"It is a fine thing to have ability, but the ability to discover ability in others is the true test."

Elbert Hubbard 

19th century American editor, publisher, author 

If you find yourself doing more than managing others doing, you're not managing.

THE BEST REVENGE

"Hatred is the coward's revenge for being intimidated."

George Bernard Shaw

19th/20th century Irish writer

Intimidation comes in many forms.

You can be intimidated by someone else's ideas, competence, intelligence, relationship with others important to you . . . any number of things.

The best revenge . . . do better.

THE BASIS FOR BELIEF

"Everyone believes very easily whatever they fear or desire."

Jean de La Fontaine 

17th century French poet

So, next time you're working on gut hunch . . .

UNSETTLING SCORES

"It is better to suffer wrong than to do it, and happier to be sometimes cheated than not to trust."

Samuel Johnson

18th century British author

Be diligent guarding your rights.

Don't knowingly let others take advantage of you.

But don't always feel compelled to get "even".

"Righted" wrongs are often not.

I HOPE YOU DO MORE THAN HOPE

"Neither should a ship rely on one small anchor, nor should life rest on a single hope."

Epictetus 

1st century Greek philosopher

You will more often not get what you want/need if your only effort to get it is hope.

Here's what you do:

1. Identify your goal. Be certain you set the right goal.
2. Carefully plan what you need to do to achieve it.
3. Work really hard to execute the plan correctly.
4. Hope it all works out as you wish.

Do that and there's a good chance you will succeed.

Only do number 4 and your chance of success is greatly diminished.

IT'S UP TO YOU

"Man is the only creature who refuses to be what he is."

Albert Camus

20th century French novelist, essayist, dramatist

In our defense, we are not born what we will ultimately become.

What that will be remains to be seen.

A good thing unless, as many do, we waste the opportunity to shape our destiny.

"HOW" MORE THAN "WHAT"

"It does not take much strength to do things, but it requires great strength to decide what to do."

Elbert Hubbard

19th century American editor, publisher, author 

More than most realize.

The answer is planning and if you don't know how to plan, learn.

I'LL HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT

"The best memory is that which forgets nothing, but injuries. Write kindness in marble and write injuries in the dust."

Persian proverb

Unfortunately we all too often do the opposite.

Doris Kearns Goodwin's excellent "Team of Rivals" chronicles Lincoln's success in getting the best from his political rivals.

The one thing among many things he did extremely well was to put aside personal slights from those with talents he knew would benefit him and the nation.

The sign of real leadership.