Here’s what we’re thinking about

I recently hired a video producer for some multi-media I am working on.  We had a great initial conversation, I told him what I was looking for, and then after just a few hours of work, he sent me a video that was so far beyond what I expected, it actually shifted what I think […]

In the article “Authentic leadership development: Getting to the root of positive forms of leadership,” Bruce J. Avolio and William L. Gardner give an in-depth background and overview of authentic leadership development theory. Here are a few of their ideas that I found helpful: The idea of authenticity has a rich history in the fields […]

I have a new rule for myself about exercise:  I only have to work out for 5 minutes.  In fact, the real rule is that I don’t have to exercise at all.  What I commit to doing however, is putting on my exercise clothes.  If I’m going running, I put on my running clothes.  If […]

Earlier this year I published a post or two about technology and productivity tools.  Here is an update based on some additional experience: Shoeboxed.com is terrific.  Shoeboxed.com is a subscription service that lets you snail-mail business cards, receipts or other documents using prepaid envelopes.  Their system then scans these documents, reads the printed text, does […]

Yesterday I saw the film “The Hunger Games,” and I was struck by how well it conveys what it takes to be an authentic, successful public speaker. In the movie the heroine Katniss is pulled from her humble life hunting game in the woods for her little sister and mother, and is thrust into the […]

This thoughtful book would be of special interest to leaders who are struggling with the ethics and risks of “speaking truth to power.”  It also provides motivation from highly credible experts for leading in a way that models transparency even when that’s very hard to do.  The authors argue that openness leads to positive social […]

Want to lose weight?  Start by getting an accurate scale. For the past few months I have been using a “fitbit” to help me get more healthy.  A fitbit is a small device you wear to track how many steps you take, how far and how fast you walk or run, and how many flights […]

Recently I had a conversation with my brother over a Reuben sandwich and a beer.  In a moment of business geekishness we scheduled this time to talk about our productivity systems, to see what we could learn from each other.  By “productivity system” I mean how we make plans, schedule time, track commitments and manage […]

Social Intelligence:  the New Science of Human Relationships, by Daniel Goleman, Bantam, 2006. This outstanding book talks about human emotions, relationships, and the brain science that helps explain them.  It has huge applications for leadership and communication. Section 1 explains why listening, empathy and authenticity are so important (especially in leadership); and describes how much […]