Dr. Earl R. Smith II

Dr. Earl R. Smith II
DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com
www.Dr-Smith.com

I do a fair amount of work with teams preparing to present to sources of funding – mostly for follow-on rounds. Managing the initial meeting with a venture capitalist is an art that takes both skill and sensitivity. My lessons have been distilled in a recent article: Venture Capital – The First Meeting ( http://www.dr-smith.info/venture-capital-%E2%80%93-the-first-meeting/ ). I’m always interested in what others have learned about how to make the process work better. Take a read and let me know what you would add. Lessons learned and war stories are both welcome. Read the rest of this entry »

Dr. Earl R. Smith II
DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com
www.Dr-Smith.com

A big step on the road to getting funded is to understand what investors avoid and why. Getting an answer to the question, “Who They Do Not Invest In” can give you a leg up by helping you avoid falling into one of their ‘do not go there’ categories. I have written an article to help founders navigate the minefield: http://www.dr-smith.info/the-money-chase-who-they-do-not-invest-in/ . Take a read and let me know if you have any comments or additions. War stories will be warmly welcomed. Read the rest of this entry »

Dr. Earl R. Smith II
DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com
www.Dr-Smith.com

How often have you watched someone do something that not only made no sense but was clearly doing their interests harm and ended up wondering ‘why are they doing that?’ Now many people do you know who have self-sabotaging tendencies that they adopt because they see them as self-serving? And this is the important question, ‘how often have you caught yourself doing exactly the same thing only to pull up short – shake your head – and wonder. Certainly anti-humanism (the tendency to treat other people as other than human beings) is easier in this brave new virtual world. I’ve written about the cost of this new freedom to dehumanize (A Cost of Anti-Humanism: http://www.dr-smith.info/a-cost-of-anti-humanism/ ) What are your thought on this new freedom? Do you think it is a good thing? How do you respond when somebody treats you this way? what does it say about us as a society? Read the rest of this entry »

Dr. Earl R. Smith II
DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com
www.Dr-Smith.com

I’ve had a lot of responses to discussions I’ve started and wanted to give a holiday gift or sorts – something different. Every human life is a journey. That journey is more or less difficult depending on how well each of us understands the direction their life should go. After all, it’s not the compass that finds your true north – you need to find the compass that points to your true north. Short of that, every other compass will send you in the wrong direction. I recently published an article that you might find interesting – Life Coaching – The Propose of a Compass – http://www.dr-smith.info/life-coaching-the-propose-of-a-compass/ . I hope you enjoy it and find it useful. Please feel free to add your comments and personal stories. Read the rest of this entry »

Dr. Earl R. Smith II
DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com
www.Dr-Smith.com

I have been doing a lot of thinking about corporate governance lately. Two engagements brought an issue in mind that I would like your thoughts on. The issue is the wisdom – or lack thereof – in combining the roles of chairman and CEO. I’ve written an article on the subject – The Conflict that Keeps on Giving – http://www.dr-smith.info/the-conflict-that-keeps-on-giving/ . Take a read then let me know what experience you have had with this combination of roles. Did it work well? What problems came up? How did you and your team solve them? Would you recommend keeping the roles separate? I am interested in all comments. Read the rest of this entry »

Dr. Earl R. Smith II
DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com
www.Dr-Smith.com

There is lots of talk these days about the need for innovation. Two things are important to recognize. One, talking about innovation is not innovative. Saying is not doing. Two, innovation and stimulating a sustainable culture of innovation is far harder than talking about doing so. Doing is much harder than saying. I have written a series of articles on the subject and am now collecting information for new ones. Here is a link to the first of five: http://www.dr-smith.info/the-challenge-of-cultivating-innovation-part-1/ I would like to hear about your experiences in stimulating innovation – those that worked and those that did not. Read the rest of this entry »

Dr. Earl R. Smith II
DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com
www.Dr-Smith.com

As a follow-up to the discussion about true north, I wanted to get your thoughts on how best to create a personal vision that advances you in that direction. I’ve written an article – Creating a Personal Vision – First Steps – http://www.dr-smith.info/creating-a-personal-vision-%E2%80%93-first-steps/ . Using that as a starting point, what is the best approach to creating a personal vision that incorporates your abilities, potential and still takes you in the direction of your true north. Read the rest of this entry »

Dr. Earl R. Smith II
DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com
www.Dr-Smith.com

This question has its roots in a chance conversation with an old friend. He shook his head and wondered why one of his employees kept acting in ways that sabotaged his own interests. It got me to wondering – then asking – then asking some more. This is a journey inward as much as outward. After all, none of us are exempt from being human. As a result I wrote an article about what I found – http://www.dr-smith.info/eleven-habits-of-self-sabotaging-people/ . What do you think are the most destructive behaviors and how do you deal with them? Read the rest of this entry »

Dr. Earl R. Smith II
DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com
www.Dr-Smith.com

I recently have been thinking about leadership – what makes a good leader – what, in fact, is leadership. I’ve come to the conclusion that leadership is one of those oft used but seldom understood ideas. I set about to try to clarify my thinking – even wrote an article – The Essence of Leadership – http://www.dr-smith.info/the-essence-of-leadership/ – to begin to get my thoughts in order. Now I realize that gathering what other people think about leadership may help. Using the article as a starting point, how do you see leadership – both as an idea and in practice? How do you recognize a leader that you will follow? How do you see leadership within yourself? Read the rest of this entry »

Dr. Earl R. Smith II
DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com
www.Dr-Smith.com

Thanks to all of you who replied publicly or privately to my discussion about leadership (Leadership and Leading – What it Takes to Lead – very helpful and informative). I want to suggest an expansion of that topic. Often there is a difference between a leader’s self-perception and how they are seen by subordinates and/or superiors. I have written about this in The Other Side of the Coin – http://www.dr-smith.info/the-other-side-of-the-coin/ . Using that article as a starting point, I would like to discuss one of the hardest challenges – bringing these two visions into focus and resolving the conflicts. What experience have you had with leaders – or yourself – and how have you seen these challenges successfully met and overcome? Read the rest of this entry »