Category Archives: Michael Gunther

How Do You Handle Mental Blocks?

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By Michael Gunther

Here it is again: the deadline to write another article and my mind seems to be blank as to what to write about.
I have been replaying my week within my mind trying to identify what has inspired me, provided me a fresh perspective or generated some new insight to life as a leader or a business owner.
I don’t know if you have ever experienced the need to complete a task with a deadline looming, and it appears your mind just doesn’t seem to want to function in order to get the job done.
If you haven’t, I envy you. If you have, you can understand the frustration and tension that slowly seeps into your thinking space as you see the deadline approaching faster and faster. Continue reading How Do You Handle Mental Blocks?

Know When to Hold ‘Em; Know When to Fold ‘Em

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By Michael Gunther

I don’t know about you, but in both my personal and professional life, I have always been goal-driven.
I have even experienced heading down a path toward a goal while questioning if the goal was still worth it, but continued to charge forward nonetheless, with the voices in my head shouting, “Don’t be a quitter,” “You can’t give up now, you have invested too much time and resources,” and “What will people think?” amongst other things in the endless conscious mind chatter attempting to provide critique and guidance.
I recently made a life direction shift on a goal I have had since I was in my twenties. I chose to withdraw from a PhD program that I began only one year ago. Continue reading Know When to Hold ‘Em; Know When to Fold ‘Em

Delegation — As Simple as Riding a Bicycle

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By Michael Gunther

One of my team members, Erin, was retelling a story of teaching her 6-year-old daughter, Julie, to ride a bicycle. She realized coaching Julie was like effective delegation.
My curiosity piqued, and I asked her to explain her thought process. Erin first taught Julie how to ride a tricycle. After various falls and steering accidents, Julie soon understood the concept with Erin’s consistent guidance.
Once she mastered the tricycle, Erin moved Julie up to a bicycle with training wheels. Soon afterwards Julie was promoted to a two-wheel bicycle without training wheels. The progression, training and mentorship Erin performed throughout Julie’s growth is what really matters in this story. Continue reading Delegation — As Simple as Riding a Bicycle

The Challenges of Cliff Diving

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By Michael Gunther

On the tip of Oia, Greece there is an outcropping of rocks jutting out into the Aegean Sea that is known for amateur cliff drivers attempting this risky sport.
Being one who likes to challenge myself, I decided to test my amateur cliff diving capabilities. Both the path to the cliffs and the actual shelf of the platform used to dive into the sea provided me with an opportunity to reflect on how we so often approach goals or challenges in our life.
cliff diving The mental processing and the fear of the act sometimes are scarier or harder than the act itself.
As I contemplated the jump on what seemed like a larger than life ledge overlooking the sea, my spouse was telling me all the reasons as to why I shouldn’t jump.
He spoke about my swimming skills, he thought he saw jellyfish. He said, “I don’t know how deep it is,” and his consistent “What if” scenarios made me question my desire and will to jump.
I stood on the perch and stepped back. I started to question my own Continue reading The Challenges of Cliff Diving

How Do You Force Yourself To Refocus?

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By Michael Gunther

After two weeks traveling overseas, I was continuing my European adventure and on my way to Greece. We arrived safely, but our luggage was nowhere to be found.
I chose to fly one of Europe’s many low cost carriers that, we discovered later, has a history of losing luggage. In one incident, a whole planeload of luggage never made it onto the plane. (I am not quite sure how that can happen.)
There we were, watching the luggage conveyor belt turn and squeak with an increasing feeling our luggage was lost somewhere between Lisbon, Portugal and Santorini, Greece. Continue reading How Do You Force Yourself To Refocus?

Reflections on the Gunther Family Reunion

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By Michael Gunther

As business leaders, it is easy to get caught up in all the strategies and tactics of running a business. It is important to remember what really matters and I share this family reunion perspective to serve as a reminder.
I have 10 brothers and six sisters, and our immediate family consists of almost 80 individuals.
I recently attended our first family reunion, which we decided to begin creating since the only time we seem to get together these days was for weddings and funerals.
Saturday evening was our talent show portion of the weekend. As I sat there in my beach chair in a semi-circle facing a makeshift stage, at our Carpenteria Beach campsite, I began to survey the crowd. I was listening to all the chatter amongst the audience about who was and wasn’t performing along with the consistent joke that we should have called the event a “talent-less” show. I felt joy and yet at the same time, a pang of sadness prior to the show starting.   Continue reading Reflections on the Gunther Family Reunion

How Can A Book Club Transform Your Team?

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By Michael Gunther

Last December, I presented a challenge to my team — read 12 business books as a group.
The initial comments were, “Reading, really?” “Where can we find the time?” “What books will we be reading?” amongst many other initial comments and concerns.
I presented an initial list of books — some classics, some more associated with today’s workplace issues — and we began with our first book. We are now on our fourth book and the team is beginning to understand the value associated with the discipline of reading and enhancing our knowledge as a group. Continue reading How Can A Book Club Transform Your Team?

What is V=RTI?

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By Michael Gunther

Time away from the office is a necessary and often critical factor in the success of leaders as well as team members.
Yet, I often find many organizations have created a culture that vacation or time off is frowned upon or even discouraged.
In addition, I have recently seen employees at firms afraid to take time off because they felt no one could do their role or that someone might try and take over their functions.   Continue reading What is V=RTI?

The Seven P’s of Sustainable Entrepreneurship

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By Michael Gunther

Twenty years ago this month, I started my business in Atlanta, Georgia (I always have to put Georgia because my friends the Johnsons always get mixed up as to which Atlanta I am referring to) and have been plugging along evolving and changing over the last two decades.
In reflection, I have identified lessons learned as an entrepreneur and a leader, that have allowed me to continue thriving both personally and professionally even after two decades of consulting — what I call the Seven P’s of sustainable entrepreneurship.
Continue reading The Seven P’s of Sustainable Entrepreneurship

When was the last time you were inspired? Bottom Line By Michael Gunther

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By Michael Gunther

I believe we can have a propensity to look at what isn’t working or what problem needs to be solved in our work and, sometimes, our personal life.
I hear business owners often discussing the issues or problems with their teams or organization. I too, at times, find myself distracted — evaluating where my life and my business are, and frustrated they are not where I want them to be against my goals.
Is it human nature to be constantly assessing and judging the situations we are in to determine their relevance to our perceived ideal reality? Continue reading When was the last time you were inspired? Bottom Line By Michael Gunther