Happy Monday everyone. I posted this on Sunday night – as my daughter and I are on yet another college visit Monday. It was Southern Methodist University (where I got my MBA) on Friday and Baylor University on Monday. But as always, I like to begin the week by summarizing the articles and ideas I’ve shared in recent days. I hope you enjoy them. Read on!

• Sometimes the co-CEO thing can seem like a good idea, but it has its downside also. Read about what to be aware of: bit.ly/1TRMeuB
• This article shared some good ideas for how to better support introverts in the workplace: bit.ly/23L4EzV
• As we as entrepreneurs know, a business failure can also be a success. The key is to learn from your failures and use what you learned to improve your other businesses: bit.ly/1Yo4ddr
• This article shares some tips for small business success on Pinterest: entm.ag/1UWapKL
• We know that nonverbal signals can impact how others see and react to us. This article describes how: bit.ly/1Yo2GUL
• Positive thinking about your business (especially when faced with challenges). This article shares ideas about how it can impact you as a leader: bit.ly/1T8EbaF
• The iconic design company Herman Miller is looking to the future. It’s strategically  turning itself into a lifestyle brand for the future: bit.ly/1WsE936
• This article details how you can develop a “genius” content strategy vs. an average one: entm.ag/1TQE2uv
• Retail is going through lost of challenges right now. This article shares a single paragraph that nicely summaries where retail is falling down: read.bi/1NqHpJG
• M&A deals often start out with much promise. Bust often the “hit the rocks”. This article shares a simple, overlooked strategy drives many M&A deals down the tubes: bit.ly/1sdXFEk
• If your industry has been experiencing lot of failures, this article share some good ideas for how  keep your team motivated: read.bi/1T5h1oR
• When bringing someone new into your small company. “on boarding” new employees can have a huge impact on retaining them: bit.ly/1NpIGkd
• Steps you can take to enhance the customer experience: onforb.es/1T9xVl7
• In a survey of social-media marketers: Facebook reportedly offers one of the best ROIs around: bit.ly/1rDt5U4
• This article Case Study: How mobile-messaging technology can help your small business: bit.ly/1s8w7QP
• Some really good ideas for making your small business more profitable: bit.ly/278MIE3
• I like the idea of starting the week on an up-note. So  why not immerse yourself in some of these spiritual,  inspirational, motivational quotes: bit.ly/1OjAfSf

And as I typically do, I shared several tip related to being more proactive an intentional communications . I argue thats’ important to become more strategic and proactive in what you communicate. Here are a few tips to consider:

• As the business leader, others are continually trying to interpret what you are thinking by reading the signals you send. Be aware.
• Be intentional about the signals you send – both to employees and externally (to customers and to the marketplace).
• Communicate clearly and openly with employees to limit how much they have to try to interpret/read your “signals”.
• Think carefully about what you as the business’s leader want to communicate – and the best method for doing so.
• Don’t forget the importance of timing when sending signals, communicating messages.

Also I focused on this issue in my latest blog post: Be Intentional About Sending Signals. I’d really like to hear what your think. Be sure to leave a comment – and share the post with others.