We have found a new house and I am currently surrounded by moving boxes in anticipation of moving day. Nobody likes to move, but the process of moving is an excellent reminder of key habits that can improve individual and leader performance. These include the following: Hold on loosely. Do [...]
In the not so distant past, discount airlines really were bargains. Today, while $99 fares are still advertised, actually being able to book a cheap deal is a lot less common. Rideshares to date have been both cheaper and often a better quality ride than taxis. Those days may also [...]
When I was a kid, I’d notice that my dad would often have a random mint or piece of gum on the counter next to his keys and wallet. My kid brain did not understand why he hadn’t eaten it. (It’s candy!!) In this and in other ways I have [...]
A popular Marine motto is “improvise, adapt, overcome.” In work and life, people are often good at the first two and less so on the last. They contort and adapt to the situations at hand instead of taking on issues head on. People will talk themselves into a job that [...]
Tis the season for fitness resolutions. Many people are hitting the gym to get more fit in the new year. While fitness goals can vary widely, many will say they want to get stronger and have more muscle. But even the people that are very consistent in getting to the [...]
Amazing but true: Small thinking can emerge (like relentless weeds in a garden), even when the subject is as big as innovation. And when leaders think small, they cannot expect big results. Based on my observations of leaders (spanning a variety of industries), leaders can fall into the trap of [...]
Key players matter. The Golden State Warriors are obviously struggling without their injured star, Stephen Curry. GE (once one of the bluest of the blue chip stocks) has lost nearly half a trillion in market value under less-than-stellar leadership post-Jack Welch. The best talent will often have an out-sized impact [...]
Roger Bannister (who passed away a couple years back) was the first recorded human to run a mile in less than four minutes. The thinking of the time was that the human body might just be incapable of the feat. The prior record of 4:01.4 had stood for nine years. [...]
In a recorded interview, a prominent artist* of the Southwest US discussed his process and the concept of his works being “completed, but not finished.” In his mind, if he worked at it too much and attempted to make a painting or sculpture perfect, he was in fact degrading the [...]
I am as interested in who people are being as in what they are doing. You should too. The reason is because behind every laudable action is a laudable character trait. When great traits are exercised, great things happen. The act of helping out a new person on a team may come from [...]