Blogs
Why Can’t We All Just Get Along?
I hear this plaintive cry from executives and middle managers all the time. I hear it from superintendents to elementary school teachers for at least ten months out of the year.Getting along is what we all want. Right? So, why does it seem almost impossible to get through even a few days without feeling that…
Clear The Past To Free The Future: Life Stories Spoken Out Loud Heal Wounds From Our Unresolved Racial War
Charles sat down and wiped the perspiration from his forehead. He looked at the fifteen others in the room. He could not decide if he felt relieved or embarrassed. That was it. Finally, John broke the silence by saying quietly, “We are truly sorry. Thank you for your honesty and openness.†There was nothing more…
What Courage Looks Like
Twice a year we do a program for leaders and emerging leaders. It is a four session program spread over five months. Each time I include clips of leaders who have and continue to make a difference in our world. There are a few staples, like Nelson Mandela and Abraham Lincoln. We choose from a…
The Downside Of Growing Your Organizational Culture
I was sitting having a quick dinner in Manhattan with some colleagues. The place was packed and the noise level high. Just a typical 6:30 p.m. time of workplace decompressing, after one of those typical rush and get it done days. At the table to the left we heard “No one should be forced to…
Do You Want To Change?
There is an old saying, “Technology changes, people don’t.†It’s kind of depressing to think that with all the good stuff at our finger tips, we are not much different from Neanderthal man and woman. Well, maybe we dress better. As social beings, everything we do is interactive and contextual. And yes, technology has changed…
Ain’t It Good To Be Alive
Last weekend we trekked to Manhattan for the season premiere of ALIVE: 55+ and Kicking. And what a day it was. Just being in the presence of the executive producer, Vy Higginsen would have been enough. However, the day brought so much that I simply want to stand up and applaud the entire cast and…
A Vital Missing Piece Of The Workplace Puzzle
Since most of us prefer information to be fast and direct, here is the missing puzzle piece right up front: what happened in our original organization, the family, goes with us to work…whether we like it or not. When I stumbled on this counter-intuitive nugget of knowledge it changed the direction of my career to…
Powerful And GUTSY
I have a birth to announce. Beautiful babies come in various packages. Some in the warm skin of an infant son or daughter. Others as works of art, music, photography, dance, the written word. Joan Scharff just gave birth to a wonderful book of poems and pictures. I met her several years ago when she…
Leadership Lessons How To Raise Healthy Kids To Be Excellent Leaders
We know all the basics: lots of fresh air, sleep, fruits and vegetables, friendships, and loving parents. There is one extra area that works like a charm. It is kids teaching kids. You see, too much adult supervision and youngsters stop listening. All they hear is blah, blah, blah. And more than that, there is…
The Power Of Film And Film Stars: Thank You Jim Carrey And Leonardo Di Caprio
I sat through the Golden Globe Awards hoping to see and hear something that would stay with me emotionally. With all the sixth grade humor about butt holes, alcohol and sexual innuendos I was able to multitask and get some work done on my new book, “Every Word Counts.†I kept thinking “When did we…
Happy Holidays, Happy YOU
I just came home from shopping for the last minute gifts for my family. Was it fun? Well, some of it was and some of it was rather annoying. I took time to observe my reactions to the good moments and the sour ones. Then I found some research that aligned with my feelings and…
How To Help A Toxic Boss Become A Positive Leader
It is a basic fact that water rolls downhill. “So what†you say. Well, that is an obvious truth. So is the fact that toxic leaders can cause their employees to act badly. However, there is another part to this equation. While people are blaming their bosses for blaming and shaming the same is true…
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