The brain is designed for mimicry – we learn by copying the behaviour of others. This determines in large measure who we are and what we seek in life. We have an innate need to belong. Our mindset is more one of dependency than independency. Early in our lives, we connect with our parents, siblings […]
Read MoreI have several heroes whose lives I have studied in depth and whose thinking gives me inspiration and guidance. Among them, for different reasons, are Albert Einstein and Walt Disney. What intrigues and informs me about their remarkable accomplishments is how they each, in their own unique way, approached and solved the problems and addressed […]
Read MoreOysters are the silent, non-responsive players in the game of life. I chose the label for an obvious reason: when we know how to expertly open them up without damaging their fragile egos, we may discover a pearl and the kind of communication that could lead to more productive encounters in future. For this to […]
Read MoreLuck happens. Just as the reverse is true. Unexpected and unpredictable occurrences we had nothing to do with can be both good and bad. The trick is to know what to do when the good appears and it’s consequential. At least half of smart leadership (or anything else for that matter) is knowing how to […]
Read MoreBusiness leaders need to understand that creativity is not the enemy of efficiency. It’s simply the ability to think differently. This can be time-consuming, disruptive or even repugnant in corporate cultures that pride metrics, spreadsheets, speed and bottom-line proficiency. But it’s skills-based hard work. And, in today’s unpredictable, hyper-competitive world, where better, faster and cheaper […]
Read MoreWe all make mistakes. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t learn much. Failure produces resilience, resilience builds character and character is our destiny. We need adversity to find clarity and coherence in our lives – to discover who we are and what we can be. The challenge, of course, is that we don’t much like being […]
Read MoreSuper-agreeables are people pleasers – compliant, sweet folks who never want to upset others but who end up doing just that. They lead us to believe they’re in total agreement with our ideas or requests, only to let us down when we expect them to do what they said they would do. These friendly, willing […]
Read MorePLANS. Why do we believe our plans for the future will succeed and are surprised when they don’t? It’s easy to be hopeful about the consequences of good intentions but impossible to know with precision the outcome of a set of sequential events. We underestimate our presumptions and overestimate our strengths. We misunderstand randomness and […]
Read MoreWhat is mastery? It’s not a consequence of genius or talent, though they certainly help. Rather it’s a function of good timing, perseverance and dedicated focus on a particular domain of knowledge. Masters are disciplined, self-directed and highly motivated. Mastery is a journey without end – a life quest – not a destination per se. […]
Read MoreTough Guys (and Gals) are rebels who have decided the price of pleasing others is simply too high. Their purpose in life is to prove they can get by without anyone’s help – that they can make it through challenging situations quite nicely on their own. They have an aversion to dependence and accommodation and […]
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