The No Spin Zone…
By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
As a follow-up to my interview yesterday with Chris Brogan, New York Times bestselling author of “Trust Agents,” I felt that it was only appropriate to take a closer look at the topic of trust. My feeling is that business should be a no spin zone because trust really does matter. However in the wake of some of the recent, and highly publicized business, financial, and political scandals, one may question the existence of truth in business or government. If you peel back the layers on most of the debacles that often transform themselves into highly sensationalized headlines, you’ll see that said problems often begin with rationalizations, justifications, posturing, and spin being substituted for the truth. I think sometimes we all need to revisit reality, and examine why we do the things we do. Hopefully the text that follows will be of some use in this regard…
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Chris Brogan. Chris is the President of 
Critical thinking is not a luxury for senior executives…it is a survival skill. In today’s hi-tech business world we have become reliant on any number of available business tools to help us achieve better results and to perform at higher levels. We attend classes, workshops and seminars, and we read books on how to master everything from the newest software application to the latest management theory. We seem to have an insatiable thirst for anything that will provide us with a perceived competitive advantage, yet we often ignore the one tool which can provide an unequaled return on investment if developed to even a fraction of its potential…the human mind. In today’s post I’ll examine the virtually unlimited benefits of becoming a better critical thinker. 
My question is this: do first impressions really matter? While they shouldn’t, the reality is that they most certainly do. As the old saying goes “you only get one chance to make a first impression,” and often times it is the perception of appearance that determines whether or not you are even afforded the opportunity to get up to bat. The truth is that most people when first meeting someone will quickly attempt to size them up. Whether consciously, or unconsciously, they will make quick value judgments in an effort to assess your credibility and flesh out your agenda. In today’s post I’ll examine how managing appearances can have a substantial impact on your personal brand and your success. 
There is nothing short of a voluminous amount of leadership information being published on a daily basis. The number of books, blogs, tweets, videos, webcasts, podcasts, etc., being pushed into the market is reaching truly overwhelming proportions. It’s been my experience that regardless of the subject, it is precisely when the noise becomes the loudest, that it’s most difficult for the consumer to extract quality and value from the market. The text that follows is not meant as a rebuke of my industry, but rather as a challenge to my fellow practitioners…It is my hope that this post stimulates vigorous discussion, and a great deal of thought on how we evolve the practice and discipline of leadership, not for our own glory, but for the good of our clients and society as a whole.
So, what’s the ugly truth about office politics? Whether you realize it or not, the politics of business can become much more insidious and treacherous than the politics of politics. The difference between politics and business is that what takes place on the floor of the Congress constitutes what are typically fairly overt and predictable actions. Most savvy participants in the political process can see things coming from a mile off as partisan politics clearly define the playing field. The tricky part about politics in business is that you are supposed to be on the same team with your co-workers. The sad reality is that covert actions take place everyday in the hallways, offices, and boardrooms of the business world. Worse yet, they are typically much more secretive and sinister in nature. While many politicians consider themselves artful practitioners of their craft, the reality is that they pale in comparison to the skills possessed by most seasoned business people. In today’s post I’ll give some insight into the politics of business… 
Humility and Leadership…while many people immediately conjure-up an image of the bombastic extrovert as the picture of what constitutes a true leader, nothing could be further from the truth. As my wife has always said, “the loudest people have the least to say.” Over the years I have come to believe that “having class” is synonymous with demonstrating a penchant for humility over bravado. True leaders possess a quiet confidence that attracts attention like a magnet. It is the genuine nature of their subtle and quiet charisma/presence, and not the decibel level of their rhetoric that draws you in. True self-confidence is reflected in a person’s deeds and actions, and not in their ability to boast. One of the worst things a leader can do is to let their ego write checks their talent can’t cash. Rather than author a long post on this topic, I’m simply going to suggest reading two previous posts: ”
On today’s eighth anniversary of the horrific tragedy that occurred on September 11th, 2001 I believe it should be incumbent upon us all to take pause and remember what happened on 9/11, to mourn those who were lost that day, and to reflect upon how the events of that day have forever changed our world. For those of you new to the N2growth Blog you should know that I only rarely express my views on politics, religion, or foreign policy. That said, those of you who know me personally understand that I hold deep convictions, and have strong opinions on these subjects. I apologize in advance as I know the text that follows will likely insult and offend some, but these are my opinions, and I believe on a day such as this they should be heard without edit or censorship.
Today’s post was inspired by a witty piece authored by 