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As the war between Russia and Ukraine drags on, President Zelenskyy has shifted from being grateful for any military support to telling the NATO countries what he needs to repel the Russians.

Shocking things happen when the information you give isn’t what the boss happens to want to hear.

For example, I was reading an article about 2 senior Russian oil executives who have died recently of what we'll term unnatural causes.

There’s nothing funny about the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Mass destruction of property. Death. Ukrainians fleeing their homes. It truly is a tragedy.

I like to follow the news and lately, I’ve been reading and watching news about the ongoing hostilities between Russia and Ukraine. One of the more interesting things I saw early in the video footage was the peculiar white “Z” the Russians were painting on the sides of their vehicles.

Let’s be frank – nothing kills an organization's morale faster than making completely unrealistic claims that get your staff all revved up, only to find out you've lied and not only are they not advancing as you promised – they’re in reverse.

In many ways, the peace in your company mimics the war in Ukraine.

On one side you have Putin and the Russians. They assert – rightly or wrongly – that a strong, NATO-aligned Ukraine is a threat. The presence of a well-equipped potential adversary is a compromise they are not prepared to accept.

Do you remember the story of David and Goliath? The little kid David is given little or no chance to defeat the monster, Goliath. And, armed with nothing but a sling, David expertly lands a rock right between the eyes of Goliath and wins the day.

Income and expenses are not linear. Like stock charts, when they are plotted on a graph they rise and fall even though they may be following a general trend or rising or falling. In much the same way that humans breathe or the water in an estuary flows both in and out, a company’s cash flow behaves similarly.

If the river represents cash flow to your business, what is a dam?

Simply put, the dam – and the reservoir it creates - represents cash in the bank, also known as retained earnings.

I frequently cross the Potomac River north of Washington DC. Recently, as I sat directly above the Potomac waiting for traffic to start moving, it occurred to me that just as the river feeds the Chesapeake Bay with water, a river of money to keep your business fed.