My favorite shrink whom I’ve never met is Martin Seligman, author of Learned Optimism. This book predates Daniel Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence, although it ought to be noted as the primer for EQ. Former president of the American Psychological Association, Dr. Seligman is more focused on health than illness. As such, he stands tall among those […]
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Out of the Mouth of a Babe: Magic
I received a link today from the British “American Idol.” A small girl, Connie, six-years old with no front teeth stepped onto the stage in front of the surley Simon. She opened her little mouth and sang a beautiful version, as simple as simple can be, of Some Where Over the Rainbow. It brought the […]
With Restorative Yoga, Quiet Time Ain’t Quittin’ Time
My friends Jill and Drayton planned to take me out tonight to celebrate my birthday. We didn’t make it. They had a family emergency, and we have postponed the dinner party. Instead, I went to “restorative yoga.” I am so glad I did. In case you don’t know, restorative yoga is a yoga class where […]
Stop Controlling, Start Communicating
There are two ways to get things done via meetings. (Well, of course, there are more; but this is my blog and I want to focus on two.) Control or communicate. What I’m realizing is how few people, smart, successful people understand the distinction. What does control look like? Here are a few things that […]
Is Winning at All Costs Losing?
When the leadership in an organization is determined to win at all costs, no one wins. Not really. Perhaps, it is more accurate to say, no one wins in the long run. In the short run, you can. Win this way, that is. No where was this point driven home more to me than when […]
Cha-Ching: I Ching and Money
One of my absolute favorite quotes comes from the I Ching, the ancient Chinese book of wisdom. It is: “Nothing changes except the fact that everything changes.” It is poetically accurate. As leaders, one of our most important jobs is to recognize and interpret the cycles of change. The I Ching was a tool emperors […]
Clark Gable: Leadership Moxie
I recently read the biography of iconic film star Clark Gable. It was a good start to the summer reading fest, and I thought it would be a break from my typical list of biz books. In fact, though, Gable reminded me of the basic principles leaders follow. For example, there were a couple of […]
Bear Stearns: A Lesson from the Greyhound Bus
A little mojo goes a long way. Too much is often a bad thing. The Wall St. Journal this week is running three front-page articles on the “fatal” run at Bear Stearns. Growing up as I did with a father who worked for Goldman Sachs, I and many others always viewed Bear as the naughty […]
Clarity Around Difficult Issues
Last week, I had many wonderful experiences and one difficult one. Why? Someone put me in a situation, asking something of me that was awkward and emotionally painful. Since the request was couched in words that sounded – on the surface – warm and heartfelt, I was confused about what to do and how to […]
The Political Rally
I don’t often get actively involved in politics, but who could pass up the delicious opportunity to meet the legendary Gloria Steinham? Not me, nor about 250 other men and women who crammed into the pool house of an upscale highrise in Dallas proper to hear her stump for Hillary before the Texas primary. It […]