Author: Scott Westerman

For those of us who admire Warren Buffett, his announcement that he was giving the bulk of his fortune to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation only amplified our esteem. In an extraordinary interview with Charlie Rose, Melinda, Bill and Warren discuss how the greatest philanthropic alliance in history came to be.

Tangible ValueClear StrategyCommitted TeamExcellent ExecutionThose are the four take-aways from my experience at Harvard Business School. The professors were excellent. I was surrounded by smart people who were engaged and eager to learn. The atmosphere was conducive to learning, the technology was top notch and the food was first rate.But if I had been paying…

I-55 Southbound, somewhere in Arkansas. The 2001 VW Jetta hums along at 78 MPH. We’re averaging 39 miles per gallon of my custom blended 20% biodiesel mix. In the trunk is a box containing Justin Carven’s latest Grease Car vegetable oil fuel system and we’re headed to Memphis to get it installed. This is my…

“Level 5 leaders channel their ego needs away from themselves and into the larger goal of building a great company. It’s not that level 5 leaders have no ego or self-interest. Indeed, they are incredibly ambitious – but their ambition is first and foremost for the institution, not themselves.” Jim Collins – Good to GreatGood…

Note to self. Re-read this article and make sure your Linux install has all the features noted here.

Keith Ferrazzi is to the 21st Century what Dale Carnegie was to the 20th, a master at the art of how to win friends and influence people. His book, “Never Eat Alone : And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time” which he co-authored with Tahl Raz has fast become the most popular…

The year was 1879. The place: Ishandlwana in colonial Africa.The British guns faced obsolete arrows and spears in the Zulu war. Each time the Zulus would charge the British lines, they were cut down in a volley of lead. The power of the modern British weaponry was awesome and it continually forced the Zulus to…

Last night, we celebrated our wedding anniversary. It was a glorious fall evening in Iowa. The fruit of the fields has turned from green to golden. The first leaves are falling and there is, even now, a hint of the fiery colors to come as autumn in the Midwest reaches it’s peak. In the midst…