We grow in the direction of the questions we ask. Our line of inquiry reinforces our interests, fuels our curiosity, and amplifies our identity and understanding in that direction. In a world today that is increasingly volatile, ambiguous and complex, the ideas and opinions that vie for our attention have compounded vastly beyond our abilities […]
Want to build a great marriage? Create positive teams that go the duration? Be a better boss, not a bosshole? Turns out there is statistical evidence that creating great results and great relationships, is correlated to the ratio of positive/negative interactions we have with the people around us. Above 3:1 and below 11:1 is trending […]
DeMaurice is my new hero. I was lucky enough to sit and interview DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association, who just completed a 9000 mile tour to visit every one of the NFL’s 32 teams and the 1800 players who make the game as great as it is today. With an average […]
Guy Kawasaki has a suggestion for those out there working diligently to build mission statements that matter. Don’t do it. That’s right, drop the two day offsite and the fifty thousand dollar consultant-generated mission statement that no one reads or can remember. Here’s Wendy’s mission statement: “The mission of Wendy’s is to deliver superior quality […]
It’s easy to come up with new ideas; the hard part is letting go of what worked for you two years ago, but will soon be out of date. – Roger von Oech IBM conducted a study this year in which they asked 1500 CEOs, in face to face interviews, what skills were of paramount […]
Michael Stallard first told me this true story. U2 is an anomaly in the world of rock music, right? The world is littered with rock bands who make it and break up, or don’t make it and break up – all caught in the throes of egos battles or conflicting opinions and ideas, or maybe just awash […]
There’s an old saying that goes, “How you spend your day is how you spend your life.” And researchers have shown (try Dan Gilbert) that we, predictably, are poor predictors of what will make us happy. The world is full of miserable lottery winners and yet we still think if only we have the house, […]
James K. Harter, Ph.D., the chief scientist of workplace management at Gallup has been investigating the manager-employee relationship and the role stress plays for some years now. His team has found that the quality of our relationships with our managers, and our perception of our workplace as a positive or negative environment can predict, and […]
The ultimate leader is one who is willing to develop people to the point that they surpass him or her in knowledge and ability – Fred A. Manske, Jr. We have an upcoming interview with Tom Griffin, Chief Teaching Officer of U.S. Cellular, and in preparation I was reading some of his articles and work. […]
This true story was told to me by Jo Radner. Years ago Mary was a young woman working in the Peace Corps in Africa. She befriended Abena from a local village who had endured a string of hardships including the loss of her husband to tribal feuds and lost a child from malaria. Mary spent […]