Friends, To paraphrase Tina Turner, “What’s height got to do with it?” Well, it seems like a lot. When George Washington at 6’1″ served as first president he was literally a head taller than many of his cohorts: John Adams was 5’7″ and James Madison a diminutive 5’4″. (Independence Hall in Philadelphia has a wonderful … Continued
Friends, My wife Jennifer, son Jack and I panted and fussed our way over the considerable hills of Oakland on Sunday. Jen signed us up for a Terraloco run (“crazy earth”) a 5K unlike any we’d experienced. About 75 people met in the Leaning Tower Pizzeria in downtown Oakland, and they gave us all a … Continued
Special 12th Anniversary Guest Column JOEL GARFINKLE: Great Leaders Use Influence, Not Power Many leaders confuse influence with power. However, there is a vast difference between the two and the simple act of learning that difference and how to use it can move your career ahead in unexpected ways. To illustrate–a story. Jody was a senior VP at a … Continued
Friends, The comments were awesome last week about my u-turn and how I replayed the comments of the angry driver. I learned a lot, especially about forgiveness. Thanks! I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have great collaborators just drop into my working life. Have you? These folks are like a tomato plant that just keeps sprouting … Continued
Stand Tough When Technology Can Sweep You Away Friends, Scene 1: “How many devices do we have going?” my sister asked on Saturday as she scanned the five of us with what turned out to be 4 smart phones and one laptop. “I can be as bad as anyone,” she added. “But this just doesn’t … Continued
Friends, I strongly recommend you view the video version of today’s Reading for Leading, but if you’d prefer to read, I’ve included the text below the video, as some requested. I don’t recommend a lot of books on leadership but when I do it’s because they have three things: clear ideas, usable ideas, and research-backed … Continued
Friends, I will go into battle at 8:00 AM, PST today, perhaps just after you have opened this. I shall be leading a revolution. Let me tell you the victory I seek and then the enemy(ies) I must conquer. I hope that it might help you, should you choose to lead . . . a … Continued
Dear Friends, Last week I wrote about the old male authority figure – and how we can keep what works and ditch what doesn’t. Again, as is becoming wonderfully routine, it garnered comments from readers that challenged and stretched the idea I presented. This week, I offer a very brief clarification and I renew the invitation to … Continued
Friends, The great John Tenbusch, master teacher, philosopher and maybe part madman, would grit his teeth so hard you could hear the grinding from the last seat in room 214 of University of Detroit High School. Through clenched jaw he would growl, “Damn it _____ [insert terrified frosh’s name here]. I didn’t teach you that.” … Continued
Friends, I finish every column with the line “lead with your best self.” This week I begin a mini-series with boundary-pushing ideas about doing that. They’re harder ideas, because they’re new – at least stuff I haven’t read much elsewhere – and hard because they demand more of you and me than I often suggest. … Continued