Happy New Year!
Happy New Year Everyone! As we close the book on 2020 and begin to write a new story for 2021, I wanted to share a song and artist that has been very inspirational to me. Paul …
Happy New Year Everyone! As we close the book on 2020 and begin to write a new story for 2021, I wanted to share a song and artist that has been very inspirational to me. Paul …
wanted to share a Christmas Blessing from the late John O’Donohue this year. His writing continues to inspire and motivate me to become a better version of myself. He makes sense of the world in a good way.
We are certainly in trying times. It feels like a period where our country is crying out for leadership. And, sadly, leadership seems to have taken a vacation.
I think we all can agree there’s been a dearth of leadership lately. It feels like our country is coming apart at the seams.
Just because you feel strongly about something doesn’t make it so. Commenting on topics you know very little about is potentially dangerous.
History has proven that societies that bond together during difficult times through shared common goals and a higher worthy purpose always emerge stronger as a result. Let’s make history by not unraveling!
It is never easy to lose someone or a pet that you love. It’s a sad aspect of life that when we become close with another living being, that at some point, it ultimately comes to an end.
Context matters. I appreciate that there is a lot of anger and resentment in the world today. In some regards, it feels like these are unusually scary times especially for the more vulnerable amongst us. It …
I have been a Charles Handy fan for many years and find that his work only becomes more prescient and meaningful with time. It’s amazing how he could envision the world we would be doing business …
Book Excerpts from The Elephant and The Flea by Charles Handy Read More »
Another Memorial Day is here although under somewhat strange circumstances. I hope your loved ones and you are safe and healthy. Thankfully, some things become clearer with aging. Maybe it’s because we start to realize our …
M. Scott Peck had a big impact on me many years ago. I often look back to the writers who have influenced me in the past to help navigate the present. There is a lot of …
You don’t have to be Catholic to admire and appreciate the life of Saint Patrick – the Patron Saint of Ireland. He was born more than 1,600 years ago but his memory still lives on. It certainly …
Today is George Washington’s birthday. There are very few people (and an even a smaller number of Americans) where you can honestly say that their birth ended up changing the course of human history. Not only did he lead the upstart Continental Army to victory against of the most powerful military power in the world at that time, he also walked away from supreme power when he refused to become king of the newly formed United States of America, and voluntarily gave up his position as our first President. I think sometimes we forget how unusual, risky, and selfless these two actions were at the time. You can seriously argue that if George Washington had not existed, the U.S. experiment with democracy would have never had a chance of taking flight and much of modern history could have turned out differently.
Donald T. Phillips in his wonderful book, Martin Luther King on Leadership, does a nice job providing significant detail as to why Martin Luther King (MLK) was a great leader. We often focus on the rhetoric and powerful speeches that he gave, but there is so much more substance to the man than just what he had to say.
I am always drawn to the romantic view of the first Thanksgiving. Not sure this is fully accurate, but the story informs, nonetheless. A group of people new to a foreign land begin to build a …
There are quite a few people out there who claim to know what will make us happy. I am always a bit suspect of accepting general answers to mostly subjective questions. One person’s happiness can be another person’s obligation or chore. My contention is that most people don’t spend enough time truly trying to get in touch with themselves as individuals and what honestly makes them happy. In fact, we often feel a bit sheepish or odd when we don’t follow a conventional formula for happiness. There is this overriding sense that it is better to fit in than be different – which is nonsense and direct pathway to personal malaise and/or unhappiness.
President’s Day is a very special day. We take time to honor two great men and past presidents: George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. A case could easily be made that without the influence and leadership of …
Leadership Thought #301 – President’s Day Is A Special Day Read More »
Happy Holidays everyone! Every year I look for inspiration to help me create this message and I must admit this year it has been a bit of a struggle. The external environment seems so divisive at …
As we wind down another year, I thought it would be useful to share some best practices I have observed over the years by leaders who tend to end every year on a high note:
As I sit here writing with the names of the dead lost on September 11 being read in the background on TV it’s easy to get very emotional. It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since this terrible tragedy. You can still hear the pain in the voices of the family members as they take turns reading from the list. It must have been very hard coping with their grief all these years. I only hope they are able to find peace at some point.
In less than two months we will have a presidential election here in the United States. Billions of dollars have been spent trying to influence voters to lean one way or another. Interestingly enough a majority of people will simply vote their party line and put very little effort into understanding the position of the other candidate or their leadership abilities. As a result, a comparatively small number of swing voters in an equally small number of states will end up deterring the final outcome. As someone who certainly has a strong sense of party loyalty but has crossed party lines on many occasions this has always frustrated me. No one party has the market cornered on good ideas or is the sole wellspring of capable leaders – the history of our nation has proven this.
I have spent considerable time studying leadership and observing leaders. I also enjoy reading about the presidency and the 43 occupants of the oval office. In my humble opinion, the most successful presidents have exhibited the following traits: