Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Dan Oswald, CEO of Simplify Compliance, writes about management, leadership, and the workplace. Occasional guest articles are written by other leaders and C-Suite executives from BLR.
by Dan Oswald I often talk about the characteristics of the people with whom I want to work. In their book How Google Works, Eric Schmidt and Jonathan Rosenberg talk about the type of people they had at Google. And the two of them should know—Schmidt is the executive chairman and ex-CEO, and Rosenberg is […]
by Dan Oswald Fall is my favorite time of year. The weather cools, the leaves turn a beautiful array of colors, and the holiday season is here. This week we celebrate Thanksgiving, gathering with friends and family to give thanks for all the blessings in our lives. It’s more than just turkey and football or […]
by Dan Oswald “What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” I came across that question in a book the other day, and it really got me thinking. I firmly believe there are many things we don’t try because we’re convinced we won’t succeed. The thinking goes, “Why even go […]
by Dan Oswald Respect and appreciate those who help you succeed. For my birthday in September, my wife gave me tickets to a James Taylor concert, which we attended last night. It was fascinating to watch a man whose career has spanned my entire lifetime perform the classic hits he penned decades ago. With his […]
by Dan Oswald At the end of the year, BLR’s founder, Bob Brady, will be retiring from the company he started 37 years ago. Last week we celebrated Bob’s achievements with a party attended by friends, business associates, and current and former BLR employees. It was a wonderful tribute to a man who has touched […]
by Dan Oswald The other day, I was driving through a small town and saw a sign on the side of a building that read, “Nobody ever regrets buying quality.” That got me thinking about quality. Did the proprietor of this business have it right? Does no one ever regret paying for a quality product […]
by Dan Oswald It’s not uncommon for me to say, “I’d rather hire someone who will ask for forgiveness than someone who must ask for permission before taking action.” If you’re going to accomplish anything in life, you must be willing to act. And when you do, things don’t always turn out exactly as you […]
by Dan Oswald I recently wrote about servant leadership, mentioning that it has long been a concept that intrigues me. I used as an example—in part because of his recent passing—Truett Cathy, the founder of Chick-fil-A. My choice for an example wasn’t universally embraced by those who read the entry. Many of the negative comments […]
by Dan Oswald It sounds like a childhood taunt. “What are you afraid of?” If you close your eyes for a minute, chances are you can go back in time and recall a situation in which you were asked that exact question. Someone was trying to push you into doing something you really didn’t want […]
by Dan Oswald I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the phrase “servant leadership.” While servant leadership is a concept I’ve heard about many times in the past, I wasn’t sure where it originated, so I did some research and found that the phrase was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, […]