MY WAY OR . . .

"Extreme positions are not succeeded by moderate ones, but by contrary extreme positions."

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) German-Swiss philosopher/writer

You've taken an extreme position at work, one you'll either totally win or lose.

Doing so you leave little choice to those not willing to accept your views.

Are you ready to completely lose or might some compromise serve you, and the other side, better?

WINNING BY LOSING

"The little reed, bending to the force of the wind, soon stood upright again when the storm had passed over."

Aesop

5th century BC Greek fabulist

Part of being strong is knowing when not to be.

Success From Different Perspectives

"Every moment of light and dark is a miracle."

Walt Whitman

19th century American poet

So you see, more than the sum of the parts can come from opposites.

But you have to look for it.

Do you?

What Are You Building?

"The boy gathers materials for a temple, and then when he is thirty, concludes to build a woodshed."

Henry David Thoreau

19th century American naturalist/poet/philosopher

Sooner or later compromise is a part of all our lives.

Better later than sooner.

I Stand Firm, But Then Again . . .

"This lady is not for turning."

Margaret Thatcher

20th century British stateswoman

Do you think that people are more, the same, or less likely to compromise their business ethics than they are their personal ethics?

Never Surrender?

"Obstinacy in a bad cause is but constancy in a good."

Sir Thomas Browne

17th century English author

Advocating for what you believe it is a good thing with the trick being to recognize when you are standing your ground versus being buried under it.

So, How'd That Work Out For You?

"In politics . . . never retreat, never retract . . . never admit a mistake."

Napoleon Bonaparte

18th century French General

On this election day in the US I thought it appropriate to include a political quote, one I believe with a message to business people as well.

However not sure this is the best advice in that Napoleon died three years after being imprisoned and exiled to the island of Saint Helena in the Atlantic Ocean, 2,000 KM from any land mass, for what even he recognized as his intractable leadership style.

Memo to US politicians:   Take heed, there's room on the boat.