Recent Articles

"Nunci" 

This a translation of a wonderful Korean word I came across recently.  It's the word for situational awareness and Korean children are taught this word at a young… read more

"Everybody wants to be somebody; nobody wants to grow." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I love quotes which stand the test of time, as this gem does from that wonderful writer, statesman, and philosopher from 18th century Germany, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. To me, Goethe's words are a… read more

"Not surprisingly, this decade has been marked by the intense hostility of the young toward truisms that once governed our thinking. As they saw it, the liberal international order didn’t uphold the peace — it bled us dry. Capitalism didn’t make the country rich — it made the rich richer.… read more

"The stone age did not end because we ran out of stones; it ended because we invented new tools." former Saudi oil minister, Sheikh Ahmed Zaki Yamani

What a wonderful insight into common sense. Let's see how it applies to business. In my work, I find, over and over, that one of the most… read more

"If you are bent on revenge, plan on digging two graves." Lao Tzu (with special thanks to Richard Belloff for introducing me to this wonderful quote.)

What makes a great quote? Look no further than this masterpiece from the ancient Chinese Taoist Master, Lao Tzu. It invokes knowledge,… read more

"Negative thoughts never deliver positive outcomes." Gordon Tredgold

I enjoy the way Gordon Tredgold can put such wonderful insights into such short, memorable sentences, and this is surely one of those. Don't over-think this one, though, by saying something like, "But what about… read more

“The price of greatness is responsibility.” Winston Churchill

I have always felt connected to the simple, direct manner in which this man, perhaps the greatest statesmen of the 20th century, communicated. You can experience this in the videos of his speeches and, especially, in his… read more

"Vision without execution is hallucination." Walter Isaacson

I just love this quote! Isaacson's wit, intelligence, humor, and insight are on full display here. This quote is on my list of signs I would post in every meeting room as a reminder of just how important step two is, after that… read more

Coronavirus: Humanity 2.0 - Part 1

I have spent the last two weeks communicating with leaders around the world and one thing is clear: we are in totally uncharted waters without radar, sonar, or anything else that will help us chart a clear course.

I can't help but be reminded of… read more

What the coronavirus tells us about leadership

Few things in our lifetime will ever tell us as much about our leaders as the Covid-19 pandemic will. Perhaps the most important element of good leadership is character, and as Goethe told us, "Character is formed in the… read more