From Chapter 8, "Kindness: The Art of Paying it Forward" in Ingredients of Outliers Lagniappe Unless you’ve spent part of your life in the Deep South, you may not be acquainted with the word lagniappe (lan-yap). It describes a long-standing French-Creole tradition in southern Louisiana and parts of neighboring states. It’s defined as a) a small gift given by a merchant to a customer with the customer’s purchase; b) an extra or unexpected gift or benefit. It’s often used to signify a small kindness or going the extra mile. In his book Life on the Mississippi, published in 1883, Mark … [Read more...]
A Legacy of Kindness
From Chapter 8, "Kindness: The Art of Paying it Forward" in Ingredients of Outliers From Slavery to Significance Another boy whose life would be forever changed by an act of kindness was Frederick Bailey, born to a slave woman in 1818. He never knew his father and he was only seven when his mother left him with the owner of the plantation and his life of slavery began. He was beaten often and forced to go long hours with neither food nor sleep. Recalling those days, he would later write, “I was broken in body, soul and spirit.” Back then it was against the law to teach slaves to read … [Read more...]
The Takeaway
If you’ve kept up with our posts throughout the week, here is my take away message for you: Most things work out; if they don’t—it is hoped you will learn something, you often get a good story out of it, and possibly, you will never make the mistake again. So, what’s not to like? You have to be a risk taker to start a business and have the vision to see it through. Don’t just take it from me. Here are a few words from some famous successful risk takers: "We took risks. We knew we took them. Things have come out against us. We have no cause for complaint." — Robert Frost "Man cannot … [Read more...]
Let’s Hear It From the Big Guns
Communication is key in business relationships and personal relationships. Follow these tips from successful leaders, CEOs, entrepreneurs, authors and communication extraordinaires to learn how to communicate efficiently, accurately and with purpose. "Developing excellent communication skills is absolutely essential to effective leadership. The leader must be able to share knowledge and ideas to transmit a sense of urgency and enthusiasm to others. If a leader can't get a message across clearly and motivate others to act on it, then having a message doesn't even matter." — Gilbert Amelio, … [Read more...]