Several centuries ago, a Japanese emperor commissioned an artist to paint a bird. A number of months passed, then several years, and still no painting was brought to the palace. Finally, the emperor became so exasperated; he went to the artist's home to demand an explanation. Instead of making excuses, the artist placed a blank…
I sit in my ergonomic office chair gazing out my window at a beautiful tree line. It’s a welcomed mental break from considering a particular client’s challenge and outlining a new book. My eyes catch my favorite painting of my father’s, the Dove of Peace, neatly placed under an arched window. This painting makes me…
Engaging the heart tends to be more challenging for leaders than engaging the mind. It's the softer side of leadership, and it's harder to get your head around. Traditional leadership development programs don't emphasize the skills necessary to engage employees' hearts. As a result, most leaders tend to be less comfortable with this side of…
With two kids home from college and a full family of five back in the nest, we have been enjoying several family activities to kick off the summer. One of them included a trip to the new bowling alley on a rainy day this past weekend. The genius bowling alley designers decided to help players pass…
Leading a business through the inevitable roller coaster of change has plenty of challenges. Organizational change is just a concept. Organizations do not change - individuals change. If enough individuals change then you start to reap the benefits of organizational change. Here are two common vs. effective responses to tough times. Control vs. Involvement The…
This video shows the beauty of doing ordinary work in extraordinary ways. Here's to everyday excellence! Video of pkHdubw-tCk The Nature of Excellence photographic gift book is filled with compelling imagery and inspirational quotes.
My late father grew up in southern Italy. I remember him singing Italian songs, particularly this one, O Sole Mio (My Sun). He loved the Three Tenors, but now there is a new generation or young talent with their own twist on this classic. Three Italian teen boys called Il Volo are enthralling a new…
A surcee (sir’-chee) is a small unexpected gift. It’s a southern word that is infrequently written but spoken by my dear friend, the late Jan Miranda. Jan always brought a token of friendship to our lunches. Little did I know that the Monday before her passing, we would share our last lunch, precious conversation and…
Stop worrying about leaving your legacy and start living it. You don't have to become an industrial baron and make a billion dollars to live a life of significance. All you have to do is share the resources you now have. However insignificant you may think they are, your resources are often of greater value…
Adversity is not reserved for day-time soap operas. Even the most fortunate of us has experienced adversity of some type: loss of job, health problems, failed relationships, disappointments at work, financial difficulties, death of loved ones, etc. We intentionally used the word move since adversity has an uncanny knack of paralyzing us. If we do…
