Blog entries

How to Maximize Your Giving by Avoiding Takers

tarkenton — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 22:57:17 +0100

A sense of giving, of service, of helping other people, is essential to success. It’s not just about money. In fact, if you make it about money then a business becomes much harder to sustain in the long run. A successful, sus...

Helping Others Is the Greatest Motivator

tarkenton — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 20:53:57 +0100

I have always believed that the mission of business is to help people. It’s not about you, about what you want. It’s about what you can do for your customers, for your partners, for others around you to bring value to them. A...

Traits of Great Leaders

tarkenton — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 23:13:55 +0100

Leaders come in all shapes and sizes. They can be found in all different places. Whether you’re looking at a leader in the business world, in athletics, in politics, or anywhere else, you’d be surprised how many important lea...

National Labor Relations Board Hurts Job Creation

tarkenton — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:04:00 +0100

Here's my latest article from US News & World Report:

Friday we learned the unemployment rate decreased slightly in February and champagne corks popped in a White House eager for good economic news. The drop ...

American Business and Philanthropy

tarkenton — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 20:23:27 +0100

We celebrate our great athletes. Michael Jordan’s 50th birthday last week was a major event. Jackie Robinson has a new biopic coming out next month, 40 years after his death. Babe Ruth is still remembered vividly, even though...

The States That Grow

tarkenton — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 02:07:29 +0100

If something doesn’t work, it won’t continue. Although we may panic
about what we perceive as disastrous choices and policies, in time, good
policy will drive out bad. We have 50 states, and by watching them to
see what...

Office Depot and NFL Legend Turned Entrepreneur Fran Tarkenton Form New Partnership to Empower ...

tarkenton — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 21:31:25 +0100

Boca Raton, FL. – February 5, 2013 – Office Depot® (NYSE: ODP), a leading global provider of office supplies and services, today announced that the Company has inked a new partnership with NFL legend and entrepreneur Fra...

In Super Bowl, No Excuses, No Second Chances, and No Mercy

tarkenton — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 21:42:44 +0100

Reprinted from the St. Paul Pioneer Press, February 3, 2013

Professional football is a cruel game. At the end of the season, for all the great moments and thrilling achievements by players and teams all ove...

Mickelson Was Right

tarkenton — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 20:54:55 +0100

Reprinted from USA Today, February 4, 2013

Pro golfer Phil Mickelson has gotten a lot of flak for his recent comments about threatening to make "drastic changes" in his life due to state and federal tax inc...

When It Comes to Doping, Pro Football Punts

tarkenton — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 21:45:43 +0100

Cycling champion Lance Armstrong has gone from hero to villain for using performance-enhancing drugs, and baseball's Hall of Fa...

Harbaughs Rode Bold Moves to Super Bowl

tarkenton — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:49:35 +0100

Here's my column this week in the St. Paul Pioneer Press:

Getting to the Super Bowl requires bold thinking. You have to be willing to do whatever it takes, to disregard the pundits and do what you think is right.

...

Conscious Capitalism by John Mackey and Raj Sisodia

tarkenton — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 23:10:58 +0100

Capitalism is not a dirty word. The new book “Conscious Capitalism”
by John Mackey (the CEO of Whole Foods) and Raj Sisodia makes the case
for what capitalism does right—and how business owners should act to do
what the...

Embracing the Running Quarterback

tarkenton — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 20:30:42 +0100

My column in the St. Paul Pioneer Press:

When I began my NFL career in 1961, I was a freak. The reason was simple: I played quarterback and I ran. There were no designed runs in our playbook, but I would ...

Leaders Have Big Ideas

tarkenton — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 01:28:48 +0100

People are always calling for better leadership. But while they want better leadership, there is not the same kind of agreement about what that better leadership would look like. In my career in football and business, I have ...

The Union Penalty

tarkenton — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 23:42:17 +0100

I believe American workers are the elite of the world. The
combination of work ethic, education, and ambition is unmatched. I also
believe American entrepreneurs and business owners are more creative and
innovative than...

Rewards, Consequences, and the Auto Industry

tarkenton — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 23:41:48 +0100

When you give people the right incentives, it pushes them toward
success. When you give people the wrong incentives, though, you just
race toward disaster. It’s an important lesson for every small business
owner, and th...

Job Creators React to Obama Reelection

tarkenton — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 22:39:15 +0100

Job Creators Alliance (JCA) members reacted to the re-election of President Barack Obama on Wednesday.