Russ Kathrein

LBM Columnist Russ Kathrein explains the essential traits needed by a good leader.

Columnist Russ Kathrein advises on pitfalls to avoid when prioritizing your day.

The old saying about lipstick on a pig applies here. If the content is garbage, no amount of dressing it up can make it better or correct.

In the commodity world, there are times you make a good buy (we like to brag about those) and times you make a bad buy (we like to forget about those).

While hard work at your job does pay off, smart work that is more productive creates more opportunities.

Are you rewarding the people in your organization who think outside the box, or does your culture discourage it?

Sometimes we find ourselves in a new setting and want to let the group know that we belong or that we know what we are talking about.

In the early 1990s, one of the must-read business books was “Made in America,” by Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart.

Ask anyone who went through our industry depression in 2008-09 what they would have done differently, and they’d probably tell you they wish they’d made some of the hard decisions much sooner.

How often have you seen a leader hire people who think or act just like they do, or who have the same experiences and values?