On April 1 of 2018, everything changed for Paul Heiss.

1: Paul is a successful entrepreneur. He is the founder of IBCC Industries, a metal casting company based in China that employs more than 700 people. “For decades, IBCC Industries has provided value to clients by turning scrap metal into parts for trucks, tractors, and highly engineered mechanical machinery,” write Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy in Who Not How: … continue reading

“These young guys are playing checkers. I’m out there playing chess,” NBA superstar Kobe Bryant once remarked.

1: Many of us are playing checkers, Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy write in Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork.

Why? Because when a new challenge or opportunity comes our way, we ask, “How?” As in: “How can I do this?”

A better approach? Learn to … continue reading

“A moment came that stopped me on a dime,” Tim McGraw sings in “Live Like You Were Dying.”

That moment for me was early in the evening of August 31, 2017. My wife Julie and I had just attended “Meet the Teacher” night at our daughters’ elementary school. One of our daughters was in third grade, and one was in fourth, so we used the “divide and conquer” … continue reading

“Most people spend the majority—if not the entirety—of their lives putting off the things that matter most,” write Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy in Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork.

1: This week, we’ve been exploring the power of asking “Who” not “How” when faced with an issue, an opportunity, or a problem. One sign that it’s time to look for a Who … continue reading

Eighty-four percent of our creative insights don’t happen while we are at work.

1: Instead, they happen while we’re at home or driving or involved with a hobby or recreational activity, Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy write in their book Who Not How.

The message? We “need time and space, and most important, relaxation and recovery, to allow ideas and solutions to ferment and form,” Dan and Ben write.… continue reading

Our default setting as human beings is “How.” When an opportunity or challenge arises, we typically ask, “How do I do this?”

1: The problem with this mindset? If we try to do everything ourselves, we severely limit the resources available to us. And if our resources are limited, so is our potential, our options, and our future, write Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy in Who Not How: The Formula … continue reading

Richie Norton was 16-years-old. Like many teenagers, he wanted to make some money and spend it how he wanted.

1: “Although Richie came from a middle-class family and lacked nothing, he longed for control,” write Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy in Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork.  

Richie’s story highlights the primary message of the book: To maximize our effectiveness, we should focus … continue reading

1: Dan Sullivan is the primary author of Who Not How.

And yet, he didn’t write one word of the book.  “He didn’t even see the book until it was almost done, and even then, his notes were short, and I took only some of them,” explains his coauthor Dr. Benjamin Hardy.

The book itself is an example of the Who Not How framework in action.  Dan is … continue reading

1: Jurassic Park author Michael Crichton was once asked by a journalist how much of the material in his books made it into the blockbuster movie versions of his books.  Michael estimated about 10 percent appeared. 

“Doesn’t that make you mad?” the interviewer exclaimed. 

“Not at all,” Michael replied.  “Those movies sell a lot of books.”

This week, we’ve been exploring the idea of Who Not How, as … continue reading

1: Are we keeping our goals so small so we can accomplish them on our own?  ask Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy in Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork.

Do we believe we must put in all of the “blood, sweat, and tears,” doing all of the work ourselves? 

Here’s the challenge we inevitably face when we imagine a bigger and better future … continue reading