Lower the Bar I’d never met a composer before, but had the pleasure on Sunday of meeting David Winkler. David’s composition “Winds of Time,” was premiered at Michigan State University with violinist Dmitri Berlinksy conducting the chamber orchestra. David is the husband of my friend Kathi Elster, who is co-author of the acclaimed book Working … Continued
A rare RFL clarification to my prior post. I used the words “shut up” today. I wished I hadn’t. I meant it the way kids these days will say “shut up,” with a tone of “no way,” or “get out of here,” or “you’re kidding me.” It was meant to be casual, yet still express … Continued
Friends, What does this say to you? Abraham Lincoln had only about a year of formal schooling. George Washington was schooled by his father, until the latter died when Washington was eleven years old. His schooling ended then. Our two greatest presidents – who led the country through its two most treacherous times – were … Continued
Friends, I came at it from a bunch of different angles on Saturday. Topic: How do you get heard? I interviewed a radio producer to see just how the successful supplicants managed to get on JP McCarthy’s morning drive time show. I talked to Lindsay a PR student as MSU about the tactics she’s using … Continued
Jack is 12. Kate is 20. They remain my best leadership lab: I study their behaviors, and study myself acting in response. I like family leadership, because it’s real, raw, unpretentious, yet the stakes are high. This week the two reminded me that it’s important to exercise my authority. I mean “exercise” both in the … Continued