Category: Leadership
-
Resonance and Distortion
Ever listen to a song that you really like, I mean, REALLY like. The kind of song you just automatically reach for the volume to turn it up when you hear it. It resonates with you and evokes powerful emotions. But what happens when you turn it up past the point your speakers can handle:…
-
Standing In Line Behind Yourself
Ever open the fridge, pull out something and wonder if it’s spoiled, decide not to eat it and put it back in the fridge, as though next time you’ll decide differently? One of the books (“Brain Rules” – I’m pretty sure) I read recently discussed being careful how we make our first decisions because we…
-
Three Loci of Confidence
Recently, I read Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”. It presents two loci for peoples confidence and self-esteem. The first is confidence that comes solely from the self — the ego. It depends not on the actions or views of others. The second is confidence based on the view of others, living for their approval while they…
-
Leading with Faith
One of the areas I have been wrestling through in the last several years, is observing how people lead in the face of uncertainty. There are certainly some people who take the course of “Deactionary Dreamers” (The Path Of Delusion). In spite of the uncertainty, they tell people what they want to hear. For a…
-
Fences & Cages : Perspective In Contracts
This past weekend I visited the Zoo. Looking at all of these animals separated from the crowds, in some cases to product the crowds from the animal (black bear/lions/vipers) and in other cases to protect the animal from the crowds. The separation prevented me from going in and it prevented them from going out. Are…
-
Jaded Memories During Conflict
Per an earlier entry on remembering things we never noticed, another place where we struggle remembering reality is during conflict. Because we as humans tend to feel and remember losses far more than we remember gains, we are far more apt to remember the negative things in a relationship rather than the positive things. Incidentally, the…
-
The Power of Stories
Jose lived with his wife and children in Madrid. One morning, after a family breakfast, Jose grabbed his umbrella and left for the office. In Madrid, it rains every day and Jose had to fight his way through the wet traffic yet again. You probably read this and thought: “Yes, and?”. If I had simply…
-
It won’t always be like this
As I mentioned earlier, my dad recently had knee surgery and had a serious complication that resulted in an additional 2 hour surgery requiring him to have to fast (fluids and food) for 3 days while he was still forced to walk around on his new knees. It’s hard to even imagine the discomfort that…
-
Why We See Ourselves As The Thriftiest
Over at Cognitive Daily, they conducted an informal poll regarding how thrifty people perceive they are. The most interesting result however is that most people believe they are the most thrifty person they know. Early in my marriage, I discovered quickly that different people perceive the value of certain goods differently. My wife is thrifty…
-
Unspoken Assumptions & Improving Decisions
This last week we had several very good meetings with our advisors who helped us refine our direction. Like stepping into a frigid pool on a scorching day, it was both refreshing and shocking. The result was very positive, but I was surprised that I hadn’t seen the refinements prior to meeting. Sometime ago, at…