Maybe "buck" is better referred to as the Boss' Challenge. Business owners are faced with making lots of decisions - some quickly made - others take more time with greater consequences.

Time Vs Wages --

A few years ago (maybe 30!) a top secretarial job paid $75. a week or less. You can compare it to the $700 weekly paycheck today. Has about the same buying power. Inflation is real. Salaries increase every year mainly to stay even with inflation, sometimes with less buying power.

Obviously, we refuse to talk about taxes (April 15th) or capital gains (thats where nothing happens except the Government gets 20%) and then death taxes arrive when you have nothing to say about it. Up to 55% of the farm. Yes, a big Wow!

Death and taxes are for real. Best decision is to stay on the right track. God has a special plan for you and your future. Government has your best interest at heart, too. Its always important to keep your house in order. Never know! You could wake UP dead! If not, tax report filing is soon due.

Had to have a little fun! None of us like paying taxes but you do remember that NO income requires NO taxes. Not a good choice!

LEADERSHIP

Down to business! Where the rubber meets the road. Everyone who calls him/herself a leader does not have a clue. Look behind you. Is anyone there?

A BIG word with FEW followers. Many employers, supervisors, bosses, chief executives are NOT leaders. Sometimes the peter principle has arrived. Basically, that means the person is in over their head.

Leaders are people motivators. They have the ability to inspire others. To bring out the best performance. To make everyone feel important. From the lowest level position to the top job.

Quality leadership means knowing the details. Processing information that is critical to grow the business. Outfront! Beats the competition head-on.

Understands key issues involving the financial results that keep the company solvent. Profitable. Moving in the right direction.

COURAGE

Not everyone is willing to STEP-OUT when the tide is pushing in the opposite direction. Employees have to be lead by a confident Boss, strong co-workers/leaders who stand UP regardless of contrary opinions. Its called self-worth. Un-intimidated.

Character is the core (center) of quality leadership. Ethical behavior never fails. Honesty is a non-issue. Never in doubt! Integrity is always there and known in the marketplace.

Most of us know leaders without the core values. Drive (hard charging) without the integrity or competence. Others are overly ambitious but lacking in integrity where you end up with poor results.

GOOD JUDGMENT

You have to do the right THING. This is an important leadership quality. Making sure that you not ONLY are doing everything RIGHT but on the right TRACK.

As you know, my career choice was 32 years in the staffing business. Those years went by quickly. Looking back you see many judgment errors in the hiring process. Lots of reasons. Many firms are handicapped in their hiring decisions.

Sometimes it is their failure to put competent staff in human resources. You can have an unqualified (lack of knowledge) person making wrong decisions. Hiring the wrong person for the position or job.

Leaders develop other leaders for your organization. Losers develop more losers for your firm. Not the best way to build a profit center.

Change is a constant. Nothing in your personal or business life is standing still. Every morning is a new day. New challenges. New Opportunities. You are either moving forward or backing up. Important decisions to make. Both in your personal relationships and in your business.

As you know, new technologies are rapidly changing the way all of us run our business. Either you embrace it or get left behind.

Action Tip: Leaders meet challenge head-on. Staff motivators. Core values are at the front of their decisions. High integrity. Honest. Trustworthy. Willing to stand up and be accountable. Accepts blame. Buck stops on their doorstep.