Out goes the old year, in with the new. As well as the obligatory mumbled “Auld Lang Syne” on New Year’s Eve, we have many pre-ordained rituals that punctuate the human temporal experience. Things like birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, graduations, weddings and funerals – all help us mark the passage of time. Even minor rituals like happy hour, dinner time, sporting …
The holidays can be a stressful time. There are preparations to be made, travel to be booked, and social situations with acquaintances, colleagues, professional contacts, and relatives with whom we might disagree. Hundreds of news articles have been devoted to the idea that Americans are more divided now than we’ve been in generations. To help people prepare for such situations, …
Anthony Mancinelli works a 40-hour week on his feet, trimming and shaving the heads of his incredibly devoted clients. He doesn’t call in sick; he drives himself to the barbershop in New Windsor, N.Y. every day; and then he drives himself home each night, where he cooks his own meals. He takes no regular medication, has steady hands and all …
Some time after starting my coaching practice in 2005, I began writing a monthly newsletter, a way to keep in touch with clients and generate potential new business. Over time, I saw its reach steadily grow and through the magic of “forward email,” these little missives went out into the world where they introduced me to a raft of new …
This past week, we saw a great outpouring of affection for the late Senator John McCain of Arizona. In the many tributes and eulogies offered, we heard words to describe him – words like maverick, hero, curmudgeon, patriot. Whether you agreed with his politics or not, no one could doubt his physical courage, his absolute candor in dealing with his …
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 …