Malcolm Muggeridge is quoted as saying that only dead fish swim with the stream. I was reminded of this truth yesterday as we enjoy the beautiful summer day by taking a walk for the neighborhood. A small stream flows under our street a few yards down from our house. The afternoon sun illuminated a small portion of the stream where between the surface and the bottom a school of small fish provided some intellectual entertainment. Dozens of these fish no more than 2 inches long were swimming aggressively against the current as if their life depended on it. One might think their ultimate destination was upstream. The truth is their journey was going to take them down stream where they eventually would join the Great Lakes.

It seems logical that they could get to the Great Lakes quicker if they would turn around and use the same energy to swim downstream. However as I watched them it became apparent that by swimming upstream the current was slowly taking them to their destination, and in the process their actions were making them much stronger. Undoubtedly by the time these small fish reach Lake Erie they will have built the stamina and strength to deal with the adversities that await them, particularly from the large fish we could not even fit in this small stream.

Such is life in the business world. Some go with the flow, doing what others do, doing it the way others do it, and become surprised when their results are less than stellar.

Others go against the flow. They take chances that no one else will take, giving them results that others will not achieve.

Such is the case with Sam Walton. When there was a cry that discounters needed to upscale their product lines and store presentations, Sam bucked the trend. He not only stuck with what he was currently doing, he looked for ways to cut the glitz and glamour of his already modest stores. The result speaks for itself. The fish that went with the stream died, without realizing that once the flow started to carry them they were already dead.

As you look at the results of your current efforts, and feel you want to improve them, look at the way the stream is flowing -- and go the other way.

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Rick Weaver

Rick Weaver is an accomplished business executive with a wealth of experience in retail, market analysis, supply chain enhancement, project management, team building, and process improvement.

Rick career began in retailing as a stockclerk, eventually becoming the Director of Vendor Development at Kmart Corporation during it?s heyday. In this position he worked with hundreds of Kmart?s suppliers to improve mutual processes, procedures, and profits.

As a consultant, Rick has worked with companies in various industries to develop leadership and business strategies. These companies include Sara Lee, Procter & Gamble, 3M, GM, The State of Michigan, OLHSA, Fruit of the Loom, Eastman Kodak, Kmart, Coleman, Pope & Talbot, Atmosphere Heat Treating, Rinchem, Builder's Industry Association, Ingersoll-Rand, Dow Chemical, HIS Jeans, Wrangler, Confab, S. C. Johnson, Kimberly-Clark, Exxon-Mobil, Pennzoil, Kraft, Remington Arms, US Playing Cards, and Johnson & Johnson.

As an entrepreneur, Rick has founded or co-founded six successful organizations, including non-profit and for profit. All organizations have been consistantly profitable since their second quarter.

Now in his role as president of MaxImpact, Rick uses his vast experience helping individuals connect to their dreams and teams connect to a common vision.

Rick?s presentation style of blending humor, real life examples, and easy to implement ideas has made him a popular speaker at seminars, workshops, and conferences in in 43 states, Canada, and Puerto Rico.