If you work with a lot of entrepreneurs as I do, you see a lot of naked ambition on display. These are smart driven people, eager to disrupt their industries, move the needle on culture in some way, and hopefully, make a lot of money doing it. By all outward appearances, they are “crushing it.” And yet, many of the …
It seems almost too obvious to mention, but nobody really likes being told what to do. It’s as if we are genetically programmed from birth to question authority. And yet, how much of our time is spent on a daily basis either giving instruction or admonition. Sometimes I will ask clients to keep track of their hours to see where …
I can still remember the exact moment when I first learned to ride a bicycle on two wheels. After a bit of tinkering in the garage by my older brother, the training wheels were unshackled, and the open road beckoned. There were many false starts and tears of frustration, my brother yelling at me to “Relax! Just relax your shoulders!” …
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first-ever broadcast of “Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood” – a low-budget public television show created by Fred Rogers. He would go on to create nearly 900 episodes in all, helping generations of children and their families navigate the sometimes difficult terrain of childhood with his stories, puppets and songs. Rogers was an ordained Presbyterian …
Pity the poor Oscar winner who has to sum up a lifetime’s work, thank their agent, manager, lawyer, 10th grade drama teacher, parents, spouse, kids, all in a minute or less – with a mixture of awe, gratitude and humility. 45 seconds by the time you’ve reached the stage (unless you’re Tom Hanks or Meryl Streep, who always seem to …
Blair Braverman is a big deal in the world of adventure dogsledding. One of her dogs is named Hari (after Haricot Vert). He is an Alaskan Huskie, bred to be strong, fast and incredibly healthy. But one of the few afflictions that can affect this breed is blindness. And at the age of three, Hari went blind. By this time, …
Happy New Year! I hope you had a good holiday and were able to enjoy some time off. My own holiday was something of a mixed bag this year. A planned outing at my brother’s house was cancelled at the last minute when Santa brought with him a virulent strain of vomiting bug that took down three adults and four …
Recently, I heard a story about a man who worked at the UN. After 27 years of service, he was finally taking retirement. At his exit interview, he was asked by a Human Resources Manager for “feedback” on working conditions in his department. Was there anything that could be improved? The man thought for a while before answering: “Well, I …
Life is unpredictable. Haven’t you noticed? Just when things look like they’re finally settling down, just when you’re getting a handle on it…BAM! The whole thing up and changes again. Hey, No Fair! you scream and shout. At least five times a day, I hear some version of this in my office. And I am very sympathetic to it. In …
According to research, about 85% of all jobs are filled through some form of personal referral. Understanding this simple fact is essential for making progress in your career and in your life in general. Back when I worked in recruitment, we used to have a saying that “People hire people.” And it’s as true now as then. The word “networking” …