This is paraphrased from a famous line in a song written by Bob Dylan. The song suggests youthful idealism often gives way to realism with age. Many think they're brilliant when young but learn more as they grow older. I found this true in my career—from thinking I was brilliant in my 20s to becoming wiser in my 30s, 40s, and 50s. Life's complexities often show fewer black and white absolutes and more nuances. Adapting to technological changes means embracing new ideas and continually retraining. Rapid advancements require us to understand new technology's benefits and drawbacks. Success comes from being adaptive,...

Some sales pros work for companies that furnish adequate suspects and unqualified leads to keep them busy achieving their sales goals. I was not as fortunate, working for several technology companies and a few start-ups.  If I did not develop leads, I would have starved and been terminated from my sales role by the company.  Fortunately, that never happened.  However, I had to learn to be resourceful and develop leads in various ways, depending on how much assistance I received from the company’s marketing department, which ranged from none to quite a bit. Some authors and sales trainers minimize the value...