Here’s an interesting statistic: over 6 million new businesses get started every year,(Forbes). But even more telling is that after 5 years, only half of those businesses survive. As a commercial banker, I worked with a variety of companies for over 25 years.  I've witnessed lots of reasons some of them failed, but when it comes to the smaller, more entrepreneurial ventures there are a few common denominators:

I tried to watch the ubiquitous Game of Thrones when it first came out.  But the myriad of characters, the special language used and constant change in direction completely confused me. Sound familiar?

I recently came across a Business Insider article on phrases successful people never use. Trying to put a positive spin on the issue, here are phrases that every successful leader should use:

1.    Thank you.  Great leaders don’t wait until an annual review to give someone a pat on the back and say great job.  You didn’t get to your position alone so consistently recognizing your people’s efforts, when they happen, is critical.

I recently saw a segment on Good Morning America that profiled a  commercial around women saying they’re sorry too much.  It was eye opening as I find myself doing the same thing and realized it really is a form of self-sabotage.  But self-sabotage isn’t limited to women and it isn’t limited to your home life.  How many other little things do we do that can derail our careers?

If you’ve ever thought about starting a business and tried to find funding, the first thing anyone and everyone will tell you is you have to start with friends and family.  This is of course after you’ve depleted your own resources.  Depending on the crowd you hang with, this could be easy or hard. But first and foremost, it must be a business transaction. 

Start by making a list of the people that have the ability to invest. Just like an investment in the stock market, these folks should be able to lose their investment and still be okay. 

Not every company interviews on college campuses. It takes time, money and manpower.  If you did, then you’ve probably already filled your open positions. But if not, chances are these newly minted “millennials” are bombarding you with resumes. What’s a hiring manager to do?