# Modern Small Business Leadership - [ Modern Small Business ](https://sapience.com.au/modern-small-business-blog) ![Drew Browne Modern Small Business thought-provocateur](https://sapience.com.au/images/logo-brands/Drew-Browne-Modern-Small-Business-Blog.svg) ### Welcome to our Modern Small Business Leadership Blog *Life, Love & Business* – it's a phrase we often use to explain the everyday interconnection between our business lives and our personal lives — all for the purpose of protecting and providing for those we love and nurturing our key relationships. Our experience is most people want to be better people, to run better businesses and be better able to contribute to their communities and families in more meaningful ways. At its core of course, is the drive of leadership; who you are when nobody's looking, what you believe (and what you don't) who you value, what you support, and how you choose to show up in the world around you. Leadership is how we live (and work) with purpose and become that change we want to see in the world around us. Our **Modern Small Business Leadership Blog** is for people who want to actively grow themselves, their businesses, and their community – so they can all live a bigger life. ![Written by Human Not made by AI sapience financial](https://sapience.com.au/media/plg_jspeed/cache/images/not-made-by-AI-sapience-financial-black.webp) ### “Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision” ― Peter F. Drucker --- [ ![man wearing jeans and tee-shirt smoking while sitting on a yellow coloured sportscar](https://sapience.com.au/media/plg_jspeed/cache/images/the-sensible-reason-why-we-do-crazy-things-with-money-drewbrowne-modern-small-business-blog.webp) ](https://sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/the-sensible-reason-why-we-do-irrational-things-with-money "The sensible reason why we do irrational things with money")## [ The sensible reason why we do irrational things with money ](https://sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/the-sensible-reason-why-we-do-irrational-things-with-money) ### Moneyism’s and why what happens in childhood doesn’t remain in childhood Let me tell you something you already know: there’s a clear connection between your attitudes and your wealth. If you've taken a public vow of poverty and then you win the lottery, (or receive an inheritance, or an insurance payout), either way your money belief system will probably get in the way. - [ leadership ](https://sapience.com.au/all-tags/leadership) - [ Modern Small Business ](https://sapience.com.au/modern-small-business-blog) - [ 🧠 Evolutionary Finance ](https://sapience.com.au/insights/evolutionary-finance) - [ 🤝 Small Business Risk & Partnership ](https://sapience.com.au/insights/small-business-risk-partnership) [ Read more … ](https://sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/the-sensible-reason-why-we-do-irrational-things-with-money) [ ![](https://sapience.com.au/images/blog/leadership/Good-Character-Matters-In-People-It-Matters-In-Organisations-Too-drewbrowne-modern-small-business-blog.jpg) ](https://sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/good-character-matters-in-people-it-matters-in-organisations-too "Good character matters in people, it matters in organisations too")## [ Good character matters in people, it matters in organisations too ](https://sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/good-character-matters-in-people-it-matters-in-organisations-too) ### Empty words and missing statements In a recent interview, I was asked for a copy of my company’s mission or values statement. Eek! Making a mission statement is something that I’ve resisted for some time so you can imagine my awkwardness at their request and the resulting exchange about why I don’t have one. Don’t get me wrong, I have a written business manifesto of what I believe to be true, I have a clear brand essence document and I even have a detailed customer, supplier, and staff journey mapped out. Just not a mission statement. - [ leadership ](https://sapience.com.au/all-tags/leadership) - [ Modern Small Business ](https://sapience.com.au/modern-small-business-blog) - [ 🤝 Small Business Risk & Partnership ](https://sapience.com.au/insights/small-business-risk-partnership) - [ 🌍 Social Leadership & Conscious Business ](https://sapience.com.au/insights/social-leadership-conscious-business) [ Read more … ](https://sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/good-character-matters-in-people-it-matters-in-organisations-too) [ ![Looking at a chess board through white pieces towards the second player](https://sapience.com.au/media/plg_jspeed/cache/images/What-to-do-when-the-other-side-has-all-the-power-and-you-have-all-the-emotion-drewbrowne-modern-small-business-blog.webp) ](https://sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/what-to-do-when-the-other-side-has-all-the-power-and-you-have-all-the-emotion "What to do when the other side has all the power and you have all the emotion")## [ What to do when the other side has all the power and you have all the emotion ](https://sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/what-to-do-when-the-other-side-has-all-the-power-and-you-have-all-the-emotion) ### Passion must be supported by Expertise What does speaking truth to power and your small business marketing have in common? They each depend upon your ability to influence and capture the hearts and minds of the listener, if just for a moment. - [ leadership ](https://sapience.com.au/all-tags/leadership) - [ Modern Small Business ](https://sapience.com.au/modern-small-business-blog) - [ 🤝 Small Business Risk & Partnership ](https://sapience.com.au/insights/small-business-risk-partnership) [ Read more … ](https://sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/what-to-do-when-the-other-side-has-all-the-power-and-you-have-all-the-emotion) [ ![](https://sapience.com.au/media/plg_jspeed/cache/images/Ask-the-hard-questions-early-in-business-drewbrowne-modern-small-business-blog.webp) ](https://sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/ask-the-hard-questions-early-in-business "Ask the hard questions early in business")## [ Ask the hard questions early in business ](https://sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/ask-the-hard-questions-early-in-business) ### Have you considered the increased risks of working with multiple business owners? Being in business is about finding a way to work well with others. This is essential if you want to increase your skills, broaden your reach, extend your creativity or just amplify your ability to deliver a needed product or service to your customer. It's common knowledge that working with others in your business can accelerate your success. **What's often not talked about is working with others can also amplify your risks**. - [ leadership ](https://sapience.com.au/all-tags/leadership) - [ Modern Small Business ](https://sapience.com.au/modern-small-business-blog) - [ 🤝 Small Business Risk & Partnership ](https://sapience.com.au/insights/small-business-risk-partnership) [ Read more … ](https://sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/ask-the-hard-questions-early-in-business) [ ![A close up image of a metal traditional crank driven golden metal cash register at an old time country store](https://sapience.com.au/media/plg_jspeed/cache/images/what-comes-to-mind-when-you-hear-the-word-philanthropy-drewbrowne-modern-small-business-blog.webp) ](https://sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/what-comes-to-mind-when-you-hear-the-word-philanthropy "What comes to mind when you hear the word philanthropy?")## [ What comes to mind when you hear the word philanthropy? ](https://sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/what-comes-to-mind-when-you-hear-the-word-philanthropy) ### Business Social Responsibility (BSR) Perhaps big businesses with big budgets and big personalities like Buffett, Gates, Oprah or just a word that's really hard to spell? But where does Small Business fit into the conversation about philanthropy, business social responsibility (BSR) and giving back to the community in meaningful ways? - [ leadership ](https://sapience.com.au/all-tags/leadership) - [ Modern Small Business ](https://sapience.com.au/modern-small-business-blog) - [ 🤝 Small Business Risk & Partnership ](https://sapience.com.au/insights/small-business-risk-partnership) - [ 🌍 Social Leadership & Conscious Business ](https://sapience.com.au/insights/social-leadership-conscious-business) [ Read more … ](https://sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/what-comes-to-mind-when-you-hear-the-word-philanthropy) [ ![A close up image of a surfer on a bold at sunrise looking out to fluffy white clouds](https://sapience.com.au/media/plg_jspeed/cache/images/always-plan-future-greater-than-your-past-drewbrowne-modern-small-business-blog.webp) ](https://sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/always-plan-a-future-greater-than-your-past "Always plan a future greater than your past")## [ Always plan a future greater than your past ](https://sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/always-plan-a-future-greater-than-your-past) ### We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit ― Aristotle. For more than 10 years I enjoyed a successful career in law. Today, when many people learn about my previous position and see the noticeably different life I’m now seen to be living, it’s not uncommon for many to inquisitively ask the same question. ‘Don’t you miss all that now?’ - [ leadership ](https://sapience.com.au/all-tags/leadership) - [ Modern Small Business ](https://sapience.com.au/modern-small-business-blog) - [ 🤝 Small Business Risk & Partnership ](https://sapience.com.au/insights/small-business-risk-partnership) [ Read more … ](https://sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/always-plan-a-future-greater-than-your-past) 1. [ Working smarter not harder is bad advice](https://sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/working-smarter-not-harder-is-bad-advice) 2. [ Asking great questions is better than finding simple answers](https://sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/asking-great-questions-is-better-than-finding-simple-answers) 3. [ Our communities need leaders now, not promises of money later](https://sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/our-communities-need-leaders-now-not-promises-of-money-later) 4. [ Are you solving the wrong problem with the right answer?](https://sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/are-you-solving-the-wrong-problem-with-the-right-answer) 5. [ What does it feel like to be wrong?](https://sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/what-does-it-feel-like-to-be-wrong) 6. [ Give with your head more than your heart](https://sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/give-with-your-head-more-than-your-heart) 7. [ Whos invested in your business?](https://sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/whos-invested-in-your-business) Page 1 of 8