By Scott Costello
1. The key to our success is strong editorial content. (FROM THE PUBLISHER, NOVEMBER 2012)
2. Winners believe in surrounding themselves with great people. (“WINNING INGREDIENTS: HOW TO BE A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS LEADER” BY FREDDIE WEHBE, NOVEMBER 2012)
3. Build your company around a purpose and understand that culture equals brand. (“BUSINESS FOCUS: MARKETING, CUSTOMERS & EMPLOYEES” BY JOHN SPENCE, DECEMBER 2012)
4. The three rules of customer focus: 1) Know more about your customer than anyone else; 2) Get closer to your customer than anyone else; 3) Emotionally connect with the customer better than anyone else. The last bullet is the key — build a relationship with your clients. It is tiny actions by regular people that create the most powerful force in business. (“CUSTOMER FOCUS: THE THREE RULES” BY JOE CALLOWAY, JANUARY 2013)
5. If you want to hold someone 100 percent accountable, then you must gain their full, 100 percent agreement that they clearly understand exactly what is expected of them. (“A CULTURE OF ACCOUNTABILITY: 3 REASONS WHY IT DOESN’T EXIST” BY JOHN SPENCE, FEBRUARY 2013)
6. Nearly 75 percent of employees commit theft at their place of employment, and the vast majority of discovered theft goes unprosecuted, according to FBI statistics. (Publisher’s Note: This article won a Charlie Award for “Best Feature – Trade/Technical” from the Florida Magazine Association in 2013.) (“EMPLOYEE THEFT: CORPORATE AMERICA’S DIRTY LITTLE SECRET” BY FREDDIE WEHBE, FEBRUARY 2013)
7. Three simple but important leadership ideas: 1) Know yourself; 2) Know your stuff; 3) Do the right thing. (“#LEADSIMPLE” BY BILL TREASURER, AUGUST 2013)
8. When you know your foundation, you can hire the right people because you know what you’re looking for. (“RETHINK: SUCCESS RECAP” BY LAUREN HADEED, SEPTEMBER 2013)
9. Company culture is largely dependent on your core values. (“GOOD, BETTER & BEST HR PRACTICES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES” BY EVA DEL RIO, JANUARY 2014)
10. Forget about price. Every customer wants the best price, which might be a low price, but it might be a very, very high price. As long as they feel it is a reasonable price for what they are purchasing, they are happy to spend the money. (“THE KEYS TO CONSULTATIVE SALES” BY JOHN SPENCE, FEBRUARY 2014)
11. You don’t have to do anything wrong to get sued, and purchasing business liability insurance is a means of pre-paying for the cost of defending your business if and when this occurs. (“THE 5 MINUTE INSURANCE SELFIE” BY BRIAN SCARBOROUGH, FEBRUARY 2014)
12. “Embrace the Suck.” Don’t be afraid of an incredible challenge or an impossible task. When you have pushed yourself to the brink, suck in a deep breath and realize you are striving for greatness. (“LESSONS FROM INFINITE ENERGY’S CEO AND IRONMAN TRIATHLETE RICH BLASER” BY FITZ KOEHLER, FEBRUARY 2014)
13. Following up is a business opportunity. What are others’ expectations of you to follow up? Make that your metric for success. (“MEASURE YOURSELF BY THE FOLLOW UP” BY CHRIS BROGAN, MARCH 2014)
14. Most successful organizations are well-versed in outlining a vision, defining a mission and developing the fundamentals of a strategic plan. The problem, however, lies in communicating both a vision and strategic goals within the organization — specifically, broadening these goals into unit, department and individual goals to ultimately gain organization-wide buy-in. (“IMPLEMENTING AN ORGANIZATION-WIDE TALENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY” BY TARA BLYTHE, MARCH 2014)
15. Everything that goes online — even posts that users believe are private — potentially can become public. There are certainly benefits to using social media, but have a company policy regarding use and make sure everyone on your team knows it. (“FIRED BECAUSE OF FACEBOOK” BY EMILY BUCHANAN, APRIL 2014)
16. Four lessons to know when building a brand: 1) Less is more; 2) Be different; 3) Stay true to the mission; and 4) Get inspired. (“4 LESSONS LEARNED FROM BUILDING A BRAND FROM THE GROUND UP” BY NICK BANKS, MAY 2014)
17. The only defendable competitive advantage left is the quality of the talent that you can attract, grow and keep on your team — along with the relationships your employees create with your customer. (“BOOK REVIEW: WHO – THE ‘A’ METHOD FOR HIRING” BY JOHN SPENCE, JUNE 2014)
18. Seventy-two percent of businesses see improved profitability through their contributions to the arts. (“FUNDING THE ARTS IS SMART FOR BUSINESS” BY JESSICA HUROV, JULY 2014)
19. Three ways to be a better leader: 1) Do the right thing, no matter the cost; 2) Treat employees like you would a customer — go above and beyond to help them; and 3) Empower people and focus on others rather than your own return. (“BOOK REVIEW: SERVE TO BE GREAT: LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM A PRISON, A MONASTERY, AND A BOARDROOM” BY RICK STAAB, JULY 2014)
20. Stop comparing your success to others. Learn from other leaders, but stop comparing your success to theirs. (“5 LIFE-CHANGING LEADERSHIP LESSONS” BY COLLIN AUSTIN, AUGUST 2014)
21. When in doubt, write it out. (“ALWAYS GET IT IN WRITING” BY ADAM ROARK, NOVEMBER 2014)
22. Survey your clients. Gems of success and growth are buried in the feedback of your current clients. (“KEYS TO BUSINESS GROWTH IN 2015: CLIENT SURVEYS” BY STEPHANIE GORDON, JANUARY 2015)
23. Ensure your organization offers talent development opportunities. (“LEVERAGING TALENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES” BY TARA BLYTHE, MELISSA LONG AND LAUREN WILD, JANUARY 2015)
24. By 2025, the Internet of Things is estimated to contribute $2.7 to $6.2 trillion a year to the global economy, according to consulting firm McKinsey & Company. (“THE INTERNET OF THINGS” BY DAVID WHITNEY, JANUARY 2015)
25. In order to lead a city, change a city and convince others to be there with you, you must first love the city. (“WHY GAINESVILLE?” BY DEBORAH BOWIE, FEBRUARY 2015)
26. Ninety percent of the world’s data was created in the last two years. (“INFOGRAPHIC: BIG DATA & HEALTHCARE” BY CHRIS EVERSOLE, MARCH 2015)
27. Positive communication isn’t just verbal. Give high fives, handshakes, pats on the back, fist bumps and hugs when appropriate. (“9 WAYS TO BE A POSITIVE COMMUNICATOR” BY JON GORDON, MARCH 2015)
28. The purpose of branding is to tell the right people what you bring to the table. If you don’t know what makes you special, no one else will. (“UNDERSTANDING BRANDING” BY ZACK GRABER, JULY 2015)
29. Advisory board members are often great pro bono business advisors who can provide solutions to current dilemmas and clear the path for options that business owners might not have considered on their own. (“ACROSS THE BOARD: BEST PRACTICES FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION’S ADVISORY BOARD” BY DEBBIE MASON, AUGUST 2015)
30. Leaders come in many different forms. They have different styles, different strengths and different approaches. In a moment of time, these special people emerge as much needed voices for the voiceless. (“EVERYTHING RISES AND FALLS ON LEADERSHIP” BY DEBORAH BOWIE, AUGUST 2015)
31. To lead anyone, there must be a core appreciation for individuals regardless of their standing in life or their race, gender, economic standing or academic preparedness. (“INTENTIONAL LEADERSHIP” BY DR. JACKSON SASSER, AUGUST 2015)
32. Since its creation in 1965, Gatorade has brought more than $250 million in royalties to the University of Florida that have helped fund thousands of research projects. (“GATORADE SETS TONE FOR UF TECH TRANSFER” BY CHRIS EVERSOLE, OCTOBER 2015)
33. Three major lessons that can make a pivotal difference in your company’s growth: 1) Smart entrepreneurs understand their personal strengths and weaknesses; 2) Founders who continuously learn are more successful; and 3) The CEO who delegates is the one who stays at the top. (“START-UP TO SUSTAINABLE: LESSONS TO LEARN” BY JOE CIRULLI, OCTOBER 2015)
34. Everyone in our community has the opportunity, if they are willing, to make an impact. Be it big or small, we all have the ability to make a positive difference in the lives of those we call our friends and neighbors – you simply have to make the choice. (“A CHOICE” BY JOHN SPENCE, DECEMBER 2015)
35. Six reasons top talent picks a company: 1) Fair pay; 2) Challenging work; 3) Cool colleagues; 4) Winning culture; 5) Personal and professional growth; and 6) Working for a leader they respect and admire. (“6 REASONS TOP TALENT PICKS A COMPANY” BY JOHN SPENCE, JANUARY 2016)
36. When dealing with your most prized possession (your home), be sure to use a well-experienced and seasoned real estate professional, whether it be a Realtor or an appraiser, to assist you in accurately pricing your property in order to maximize your returns. (“ZESTIMATE® VS REALITY” BY MICHAEL B. KITCHENS, FEBRUARY 2016)
37. Find a passion and create — or re-create yourself. (“PERSONAL BRANDING IS EVERYWHERE” BY NATHAN WHITAKER, MAY 2016)
38. Three things to consider before changing companies: 1) Does your career move make sense; 2) Don’t always chase the money; and 3) How healthy is the company itself? (“THREE THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE CHANGING COMPANIES” BY CRAIG PETRUS, JUNE 2016)
39. Both men and women can be bossy – that term can apply to both genders, based on behavior, just as both can be effective leaders. The real difference in effective leadership has little to do with gender and a whole lot more to do with style. (“REDEFINING THE FIERCE LEADER” BY DEBBIE MASON, JULY 2016)
40. An “intrapreneur” — short for internal entrepreneur — refers to one who performs entrepreneurship inside a company. This person takes direct responsibility for turning ideas into profitable finished products through assertive risktasking and innovation. (“THE INTRAPRENEURIAL JOURNEY” BY DAVID WHITNEY, JULY 2016)
41. Firms that do not continually innovate will die. Innovation requires taking risks — you will sometimes fail. It simply is not possible that one can continually succeed without taking risks. (“FAILURE AND INNOVATION” BY WJ ROSSI, JULY 2016)
42. Engage with those we lead; elevate whenever possible those already on staff. (“ENGAGE AND ELEVATE” BY NATHAN WHITAKER, AUGUST 2016)
43. Democracy isn’t supposed to be easy. Those who avoid making the effort to participate are ensuring they get the government they deserve, and are doing a great disservice to future generations. (“EARL AND THE THIRD ‘P’” BY BRIAN SCARBOROUGH, AUGUST 2016)
44. In order to build a strong company culture, leaders must excel at all three components of leadership: vision, alignment and execution. That means setting a solid vision for the company, doing the work it takes to bring people into alignment with that vision, and then having the tools and discipline to execute that vision. (“THE WORK OF LEADERS IN BUILDING CULTURE” BY DEBBIE MASON, AUGUST 2016)
45. Insufficient physical activity is one of the ten leading risk factors for death worldwide, and is as bad for you as smoking, according to the World Health Organization. (“SITTING? MIGHT AS WELL BE SMOKING” BY PAXTON SELLERS, SEPTEMBER 2016)
46. In its truest sense, economic development encompasses the creation of jobs and capital investment in an area and contributes to our overall quality of life. This impacts transportation, safety, environmental preservation, public policy, corporate recruitment, retention, diversity and training. (“FROM OUR GUEST EDITOR” BY SUSAN DAVENPORT, OCTOBER 2016)
47. To be in control of your own life and habits, you must take time to reflect and examine yourself and your life. (“THE SECRET WORLD OF HABITS” BY SHARON BROWN, OCTOBER 2016)
48. Saying no allows you to properly channel limited resources in order to produce maximum benefit while producing more outcomes. (“WHY SAYING NO IS A YES TO SUCCESS” BY DAVID WHITNEY, NOVEMBER 2016)
49. The quality of a management team is the single most key determinant of business success. (“POWERING UP YOUR TEAM” BY BILL ROSSI, NOVEMBER 2016)
50. There are three types of leaders: Generalists, Specialists and Hybrids. I have tried all three. The key, no matter which one you are, is to surround yourself with a variety of others. I am very lucky after 14 years of trying, I have found that I have a great blend of all three, predominantly specialists who are much better at their specific roles than I could ever be. (“FROM THE PUBLISHER” BY SCOTT COSTELLO, DECEMBER 2016)