Living a life of gratitude

Observations on Leadership

A Quest for Authenticity – How Many Lives Are You Living?

Overcoming Einstein’s Law of Insanity – A Review of “Drive” by Daniel Pink
We have all heard variations of Einstein’s Law of Insanity – to expect a different result from doing the same thing over and over. Unfortunate confirmation of the pervasiveness of this law is all around us: The company who hires an expert to guide them, knowing the expert has guided all of their recent clients into oblivion. The company that follows the same means of execution, watching their profits ride up and down like a roller coaster.  Each dip gets a little lower, but they assure themselves that their strategy is sound and no changes are necessary. The organization that struggles with making a profit and because of their st

Collaboration – Life Lessons From a Sandbox
Collaboration, teamwork, empowered teams …. Buzzwords that we like to throw around, brag about, lay claim to and espouse as our personal mantra when telling others the “secret to our success”. Collaboration was on my mind as I watched a group of kids playing in a sandbox and as I observed their behaviors, it occurred to me that it may be possible to predict tomorrow’s collaborators just by observing these young people. Consider the following scenarios and ask yourself if they resonate within your own professional or personal circumstances. The “Results and Fun” Group The first group of kids I noticed were focused on the goals and

Fellowship
It is a cool, sunlit day and as I scan the faces of those in attendance at today’s Remembrance Day ceremony, my gaze falls upon one person in particular. He is not standing with the throngs that have gathered to honor those who serve and who have served.  He is elderly, perhaps 80’s or 90’s in age and is in uniform.  The sun is behind him and casts him in shadow as he stands on a small hill overlooking the ceremony. He stands alone. As I listened to the prayers and speeches being made, I couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking. Was he thinking about the horrors he may have experienced? Perhaps he was remembering the good tim

Legacy – Being Aware of our Impact
I was thinking about my friend Donna Butler today. Donna is one of those people who always comes up in conversation whenever people of my graduating class get together. Earlier this summer, I was reconnected with two friends from high school that I hadn’t seen in 28 years. Within five minutes of each of our initial conversations, the inevitable question was asked by each of them: Do you remember Donna? Both guys went on to describe the impact that Donna had in their lives. I know all about it – I think about her impact on me all the time. If you will allow me a moment, I will tell you about Donna.

O Passion, Where Art Thou?
I’ve been feeling lately like I have been working double-shifts in the ER. Many of the patients who have been admitted haven’t been in any type of accident. They are suffering from what I will define as deficientia passio – passion deficiency syndrome. As each patient is rolled in, a quick assessment is usually all that is required.  I grab the passion defibrillator, yell out CLEAR and zap them with the passion they need to make a difference in the world. Ah, if it were only that easy. A lot of wonderful people have come my way lately whose passion is either gone, never manifested in the first place or manifests