Build a Business, Not a Job

Setting Expectations in Your Leadership Team

Three confident business people having discussion while standing near the office desk together, leadership team

Putting together a solid leadership team for your business is a big milestone for any small-business owner. But once you have your team assembled, many small-business owners think they are done with the heavy lifting. Unfortunately, that is just the beginning. You still need to put in the work of defining leadership team expectations, as well as laying the […]

Read more


The Dangers of Key Person Syndrome

a person who handle critical tasks or processes, key person syndrome

As a business coach for over 25 years, I can tell you that one of the most damaging things you can do for your business is to rely too heavily on one or two key members of your team. It’s easy to understand why we do it. That person has likely been there for an extended period, they are […]

Read more


The Power of Peer-to-Peer Delegation

Team member working with their peers, peer-to-peer delegation

We talk a lot about delegation with our business coaching clients here at Maui Mastermind, and for good reason. Effective delegation is essential for the growth and success of any business. And the majority of owners and leaders of small to medium-size businesses aren’t very skilled in delegating tasks to their team members. It is usually clunky […]

Read more


The 3 Levels of Delegation and Ownership for Effective Leadership

Female Business Coach for Company Management Explains The 3 Levels of Delegation and Ownership for Effective Leadership

Delegating tasks and ownership are vital aspects of effective leadership, enabling business owners to scale their operations and empower their teams. And as a business coach for more than 25 years, I can say that this is one of the things that business owners struggle with the most. The majority of leaders understand the first level but after […]

Read more


How to Handle New Projects With Your Team

discussion over new ideas for a project, how to handle new projects with your team

In an ideal world, you and your team will put together a quarterly action plan every quarter and then blissfully work on the tasks within that plan making great progress along the way. There will be no surprises, no hurdles, and no obstacles to overcome. But that isn’t how the business world works. There are […]

Read more


The 2 Most Important Tips to Manage Your Staff

Middle aged businesswoman explaining project strategy, tips to managing your staff

When it comes to managing staff, there are lots of tips and tricks out there to help you be a good manager and leader. But at the end of the day, it really comes down to a few simple tips and tricks that not only help guide your team to success, but really frees up everyone’s time to […]

Read more


2 Types of People Who Have the Biggest Impact on Your Company Culture

business, people and teamwork concept, leadership team, healthy company culture

When it comes to company culture, many business owners aren’t sure where to begin. They know it’s important and that it can help them grow and develop their team, but that’s where the knowledge runs out. Should you create a company handbook? Should you send out memos outlining desired behaviors? Should you start rewarding those that model behaviors and actions […]

Read more


You May Be Rewarding the Wrong Behaviors. Here’s How to Tell

business time management concept, rewarding

As a business coach for more than 25 years, I have helped a lot of business owners create company cultures that not only help shape their business for years to come, but can actually help increase their profits and bottom line. And in the past, I have talked about company culture and shared ways that you […]

Read more


The First Rule of Business: Be Respectful of Everyone’s Time

Time, building respect and company culture

As a leader, everything you say and do becomes part of your company culture, whether you want it to or not. Every time that you show up late to a meeting, or miss a deadline, your team is watching and taking notes. But on the flip side, every time you make a deliberate effort to act […]

Read more


3 Steps to Onboard a Hire More Efficiently

Onboarding Process Business, Steps to Onboard a Hire

Hiring and onboarding new talent can be a process, and for many small business owners the first 90 days after a hire are the most crucial to the new hire’s success or failure. So today I wanted to share with you three steps that I encourage all our business coaching clients to do with each and every new hire […]

Read more


How to Stop Phantom Deliverables in Their Tracks

Project management tools, how to stop phantom deliverables in their tracks

When it comes to service-based businesses, one of the most frustrating and costly mistakes any business owner can make has to do with phantom deliverables and scope creep. If left unchecked, you can not only burn your team members out quicker, but all the extra work and resources can quickly start to eat into your profit margins […]

Read more


3 Ways You Could Be Failing as a Leader

Focused mature leader deep in thought while sitting at a table in modern office

As a small-business owner, it’s safe to say, you never set out to fail as a leader. The majority start off with the best intentions and want to grow a team and a company they can be proud of for years to come. But somewhere along the way, things start to get fuzzy. You start working […]

Read more


How You Word Your Interview Questions Matters

Guy and businesswoman talking in a job interview in an office, actual interview process

As a business coach for more than 25 years, I have helped thousands of business owners grow and scale their businesses through the creation of systems and processes and intelligent hiring practices. And one topic that comes up often is how to craft the proper questions for a job interview, while paying attention to the various laws […]

Read more


2 Leadership Habits Should You Should Always Pay Attention To

Mature business woman having a discussion with her team, leadership habits small-business owners to pay attention to

As a leader, your actions always speak louder than words when it comes to creating a company culture that is beneficial for both your employees and your company as a whole. And, from my experience as a business coach who speaks to thousands of owners every year, there are some actions that speak louder than others. […]

Read more


Stop Living Your Life 10 Minutes at a Time

Human hand holding alarm clock on red background, solid block of focus time

As a small-business coach, I have seen it all. Thousands of business owners each year work with my team to help grow and scale their businesses, and the vast majority of those owners usually come to us completely overwhelmed with the sheer volume of things that they need to accomplish every single day. Then when you add […]

Read more


Why Psychological Safety in the Workplace Should Be on Your Radar

Business team good community doing work and smiling happy, value, team, psychological safety

As a business coach for more than 25 years, I have helped thousands of business owners grow their businesses. And one of the ways we do that is by helping them create safe, nurturing spaces in which their team members can grow and develop. For many leaders, psychological safety is an idea they may not have ever […]

Read more


Why Being Nice Always Pays Off

Business man hand with wooden red heart object, Why being nice always pays off, kindness

Remember as a child when you were told, “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all”? Well, that piece of advice is relevant when it comes to managing a team as well. And as anyone who has ever managed a group of people knows, it can be difficult at times with different […]

Read more


Become a Better Manager by People Watching

how to become a better manager by people watching

Being a good manager is hard work. It’s one thing to get your team in alignment on a task or project at hand to meet a deadline, but it’s a whole other thing to help your team members grow and develop as individuals within your organization. And unfortunately, that’s where many managers and leaders fall short. We are so […]

Read more


How to Be a Better Manager: The Theory of the Elephant and the Rider

How to be a better manager, the elephant and the rider

Leading a team can be a lot of work, and for many business owners and leaders their first real experience leading a team is when they start their own businesses. This is why it’s imperative that you take the time and energy to hone your management skills along the way to help your business grow and thrive. Today, I […]

Read more


Improve Your Social Intelligence With This Exercise

Improve your social intelligence

By now we all know that emotional intelligence is important for leaders and managers to be successful. But today I wanted to go a step further and talk about social intelligence. What it is, why it matters, and how you can improve this soft skill to become a better manager and leader for your team. First, let’s define […]

Read more


How to Use A.I. to Find Your Next Hire

Ai artificial intelligence innovation, how to use A.I. to find your next hire

With all the buzz about A.I. lately, business owners are scrambling to find out the different ways they can use GPT to make their days easier and more productive. Many of my clients have started using it to create marketing copy, ads, and graphic design, and even to help with the hiring process. So today I want to share some tips and […]

Read more


Are You a Manager or a Leader? Here’s How to Tell

Manager or a Leader work cooperate with diverse team at office, discuss business ideas with colleagues at meeting

Are you a manager or are you a leader? As a business coach, this question comes up a lot, and many people use the terms interchangeably. But there is a difference between the two, and there is a time and a place for you to be a manager and to be a leader. So today I want to […]

Read more


The Difference Between a Manager and a Leader When It Comes to Delegation

In the past, I have spoken about the power of delegation when it comes to growth in your business. If done properly, you can exponentially grow your business without having to work 80-plus hours a week. But did you know that when it comes to delegation there are a few different approaches you can take, and both […]

Read more


3 Things You Can Start Doing Today to Make Yourself a Better Leader

business man and business woman corporate leaders managers standing in office, better leader

In my 25-plus years of being a business coach, I have worked with thousands of business owners across the globe, many of whom started out with no intention of becoming a leader or even a manager. They had a business idea that resonated with a customer base, and took that idea or passion and turned it into a thriving […]

Read more


It’s Time to Give Your Team a Voice

Expressing idea, It's time to give your team a voice

I was recently talking with a business coaching client who had just lost a major account. After doing a little more digging, it was discovered that one of his account representatives, Casey, knew it was coming months before the client officially put in their notice to terminate. Naturally, the owner thought that letting Casey go was […]

Read more


The Cons of Using a Personality Assessment With Your Team

The cons of using a personality assessment with your team

For a hiring manager or business owner, hiring the right fit for your team can really make a huge difference in your ability to grow and thrive as a business. And in today’s hiring landscape, it can be easy to get caught up in the hundreds of resumes in your in-box and multiple rounds of interviews. After a while, […]

Read more


The Pros of Using a Personality Assessment With Your Team

Portrait of business team standing together, using a personality assessment with your team

Finding a new hire for your team is a process, and one that takes a lot of careful consideration and planning. And for many business owners, the idea of doing a personality assessment prior to hiring someone sounds like a great way to screen a candidate for a culture fit without going through the work of onboarding […]

Read more


How to Have an Adult Conversation With an Employee Who Isn’t Meeting Expectations

Business owner having an adult conversation with an employee who isnt meeting expectations

For a lot of business owners, managing a team is one of the hardest but most rewarding parts of the job. If handled properly, you can grow your business and experience a level of growth and freedom that your competition can’t. But if done improperly, it can really hurt your business and your ability to service your customers. […]

Read more


How to Speak With an Employee Who Is Acting Out of Character

two businesswomen sitting and discussing, learn how to speak with an employee who is acting out of character

As a business owner or manager, not only is it your job to help your team celebrate the victories and successes that they experience but it is also imperative that you are able to recognize when a team member is out of sorts and struggling in their current position. And how you approach that conversation […]

Read more


How to Tell What Kind of Employee You Have

business people working together in the office, employee, role player, growth player

As business coaches, one of the things we work on with our clients is not only helping them find and retain top talent, but also helping them coach their team to help increase productivity and growth within the business. And one of the ways we do that is we help them learn how to distinguish their employees by two different […]

Read more


Unintentional Ways You Are Wasting Time

People in a meeting and talk about time management and productivity

When it comes to productivity, there are a lot of things that can slow you down as a business owner. There are employee issues, customer concerns, marketing issues, and a whole slew of other fires that pop up on a daily basis. But, for the majority of us, there is one productivity killer that beats all others in terms of time […]

Read more


You Are Unintentionally Jeopardizing Your Team’s Productivity

International business team connecting online together and teleworking: work outsourcing and telecommuting concept, team's productivity

Being a leader of a small to medium-sized business means that you often wear a lot of hats. And you have a lot of things on your plate. And as a business coach for over twenty five years, I can say that for most business owners productivity and efficiency are not innate skills. They often take years […]

Read more


How to Navigate Emotional Land Mines in Delegation

good relationships with your team members, colleagues engaged in a productive business meeting, brainstorming ideas, delegation processes and procedures

As a business coach for more than two decades, I have taught thousands of business owners how to streamline their delegation processes and procedures in order to get more done without working 80-plus hours a week. And, for many, the actual delegating isn’t the most challenging part of the process. For most, it’s the emotional components that come […]

Read more


You Have Your To-Do List All Wrong

manager helps her new employee to find a solution on her task, day-to-day task, to-do list

As a busy business owner with a lot of responsibilities your to-do list is your lifeline to getting things done. You likely have a running list of all the things you have to do on any given day or week, both professionally and in your personal life. And that list can be housed either digitally or in […]

Read more


The Secret Weapon to Hiring the Right Person Every Single Time

job interview waiting and sitting in line, hiring

When it comes to hiring new team members, there are a lot of things you can do to help find the best candidate for the position. Having a solidly written job description, looking in the right places or enlisting the help of a recruiter, and having well-thought-out interview questions that help capture the skills and weaknesses of […]

Read more


Getting Your Staff’s Trust Starts With the Little Things

Happy mid aged business woman manager handshaking at office meeting, accountability

As a business coach for over twenty-five years, I have seen many leaders rise to the top and I have seen just as many leaders fall flat. And one of the universal truths in all of that is that the leaders that make a concerted effort to lead with integrity almost always outshine their peers. Because when […]

Read more


Your Staff Is Watching. Here’s Something You Should Pay Attention To

Healthcare, doctors and nurses walking together for discussion. Diversity, men or women medical group talking about teamwork in hospital, Your staff is watching

Being a leader means a lot of things when it comes to your business, but one of the most important things you can do every day is to be mindful of your behaviors and actions. As humans, we are inherently inductive machines. We are constantly watching those around us and looking for patterns of behavior, ultimately changing the way […]

Read more


You May Be Overcoaching Your Team. Here’s How to Tell

overcoaching

As a business coach for more than 25 years, I can attest to the power of a good companywide coaching program. If done correctly, you can help your team stay on task and focus on the bigger picture. You can increase revenue and profits, all while working less on the things that matter the most. And you […]

Read more


The 1-Page Report You Should Always Have On Hand

The 1-Page Report You Should Always Have On Hand, strategic action plan

I was recently talking to a business owner who was really struggling with report overload. Every day he would get a report from his accounting department, legal, marketing, customer service, and operations. And most of those reports were several pages long and packed full of facts and figures. On the surface, this seems like a great thing. […]

Read more


Why Attention Is Everything When It Comes to Business Growth

Why Attention Is Everything When It Comes to Business Growth

As a business owner, there are so many things demanding your attention, and at the end of the day, it can be really easy to get overwhelmed when you are pulled in so many different directions. And as humans, the saying “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” is very accurate. You may have 15 important tasks on […]

Read more


Emotional Intelligence and Your Team: the Hidden Danger

Emotional Intelligence and Your Team: the Hidden Danger

Emotional intelligence is a term that has taken the spotlight a lot over the past few years, and for good reason. As a leader, how you handle your emotions, both good and bad, can have a direct impact on your success or failure as a leader. And as a business coach for more than 25 years, I […]

Read more


The Real Reason You Struggle to Delegate

The Real Reason You Struggle to Delegate

As a business coach, I am in a unique position to not only help struggling business owners but also recognize and identify unproductive patterns of behaviors across all industries and business models. This in turn allows me to help others dodge a similar fate. So today I wanted to address the real reason that you are struggling […]

Read more


Why Your Delegated Tasks Often Fail

Why Your Delegated Tasks Often Fail - Maui Mastermind Business Coaching

There is a lot on your plate as a business owner. Delegating tasks effectively is one of the best ways to get more done in a shorter period of time. But delegation can be fraught with anxiety and can seem a little hit or miss. You might ask Linda to do a task on Monday and she does […]

Read more


The Secrets to a Clean Handoff

delegation, close the loop, clean handoff, delegating a task

I was recently talking to a new coaching client who has been struggling with task delegation. He had gotten over the initial hesitation and control-itis phases and had started to regularly hand off small tasks and projects to others on his team. But then things had started to go a little sideway and he found that oftentimes the […]

Read more


The Difference Between Doing a Task and Owning a Task

The Difference Between Doing a Task and Owning a Task

As a business owner, learning how to delegate tasks to your team can make a huge difference in your ability to reach your company goals and deadlines. But there are a few subtle nuances that can make or break any delegation–which is why today I want to address one of the most common misunderstandings when it comes to delegation, about […]

Read more


Delegation Mistakes You Are Most Likely Making

Delegation Mistakes You Are Most Likely Making

Being able to delegate tasks and projects to others on your team is a crucial skill to have as a business owner. Not only does it help free up your time to do more high-value tasks, it also empowers those on your team to really shine in their role and take on more responsibility in your absence. […]

Read more


Improve Your Delegation Skills Faster

Improve Your Delegation Skills Faster

When it comes to delegation, practice really makes perfect, but fortunately, there are some tips and tricks along the way that can help you be more efficient at the task without dropping the ball or losing momentum. So today, I wanted to share with you three tips that I teach my business coaching clients on how to improve […]

Read more


Your Hyper Responsiveness is Expensive and Dangerous

remote world, hyper-responsiveness

In today’s business environment there is an expectation among workers, particularly remote workers that can be really damaging to your business’s overall growth and well being. And that danger is hyper-responsiveness. It can rear its ugly head in the form of emails, chats, slack, team messages and meetings. It’s the expectation that you should be able to […]

Read more


How To Create Structure Within Your Business

work flow to client, create structure within your business

When it comes to running a business, there are a million different ways to get things accomplished. And if you have even a few employees, you know that if given the chance every employee will do things just a little bit differently. Which can not only cause confusion and difficulty in cross-training, but can really slow down […]

Read more


How to Protect Your Team’s Sanity

protect your team sanity

As a leader, there is a lot that you can do to help make your team more productive and fulfilled in their positions, and one of the biggest ways you can do that is by protecting their sanity. There are so many things that could potentially fall onto their plates each and every day that really have […]

Read more


It’s Time to Step Up Your Meeting Skills

step up your meeting skills, virtual meeting

We all spend a lot of time in virtual meetings these days, and if you are like most leaders you could always do a better job of making your meetings more engaging and hands-on for everyone involved. Because the only thing worse than being stuck in a meeting is being stuck in a meeting that drags on for […]

Read more


How to Create Intentional Opportunities to Build Connections

meeting and business people, opportunities to build connections

In today’s society, where everything is virtual, it can be really hard to build connections. And it can be especially challenging for a leader who is trying to build a business while also developing a leadership team and staff. So today I wanted to share some tips on how you can create intentional opportunities for connecting with your team. Share Your Lives When […]

Read more


How to Have a Rock Star Remote Team

businesswoman using a laptop for an online meeting, rock star remote team

As a business coach, I have witnessed a lot of businesses that started to thrive once they went to a remote-only format, but I have also seen an equal number of business owners really struggle with the change — and the difference between the two almost always came down to their management styles and management mindset. So today, […]

Read more


Unspoken Challenges To Remote Workforces

Distant work, remote workforces, meeting

I have heard time and time again about some of the more common remote workforce challenges, many of which revolve around technology and accountability. But today, I wanted to explore remote workforce challenges a bit further and discuss some of the unspoken challenges you may encounter as you transition your team to fully remote (if you haven’t already done […]

Read more


Unexpected Perks of Having a Remote Workforce

working on a laptop, remote workforce

As more and more companies are turning to remote workforce, we are seeing a lot of perks to going remote for both the business owner and your employees. Many of which may have been unexpected at first. So today, I wanted to go over some of the perks that you may not have considered when […]

Read more


Close Your Accountability Loop With Integrity

business woman working on laptop in office, business, want to close the sale

As a business owner, being trustworthy is a huge contributing factor as to whether you have the ability to scale your business or not. Because as your business gets larger, and the stakes get higher, it is imperative that those around you trust you to follow through. I have seen far too many leaders, who say that they […]

Read more


How to Lead With Integrity

leaders, business owners, lead with integrity

Over the last 25 years, I have had the privilege of personally coaching hundreds of business owners. And as such, there are so many things that go into teaching and training great leaders, one of which has to do with the ability to lead with integrity. Leading with integrity is so important to help set the right tone, […]

Read more


2 Things You Should Keep in Check as a Manager

businesswoman, leaders, managers, 2 things you should keep in check as a manager

I talk a lot about time management and focusing on the few things that create the most value for your business quite often here and with my business coaching clients. And for the majority of leaders those two areas will set them up for growth, but there are two more areas that I believe make […]

Read more


3 Things You Need To Start Managing

managing things as a small business, 3 things you need to start managing

When it comes to managing things as a small business, your plate is already incredibly full. So you may already be thinking, “David, I really don’t need more things on my list of things to manage.” But I want to encourage you to stick with me on these, because these three things are possibly the […]

Read more


All Of My Key Team Employees Have a Business Coach. Here’s Why

key team employees have a business coach

Because I’m a business coach you may be surprised to hear that all of my key team members meet with a business coach themselves on a regular basis. Which may sound strange coming from a company that teaches others how to grow and scale their businesses through business coaching. But having our team go through […]

Read more