If you don’t watch the NBA, you may not know who Nikola Jokić is (often called “The Joker”). He plays for the Denver Nuggets and is arguably the best player in basketball as I write this. Although his game is impressive, as a fair-weather basketball fan, I find his persona even more so. He isn’t […]
If I waved a magic wand and and proclaimed, “You are now Chief Basket Weaver,” would you suddenly know how to make baskets? Of course not! If I said you’re a leader or Chief Thingamajig Officer, does that mean you now know how to manage, lead, or design “thingamajigs”? No! Yet almost weekly, I run […]
My knowledge of Buddhism could fit in a thimble, but I’ve gleaned that it contains lessons for leaders. “The Six Perfections,” which I recently discovered, are an interesting take on success in the C-suite. 1. Generosity: Imagine you’re the Buddha of the office, bestowing the gift of snacks upon your team. Generosity isn’t just about […]
It’s only one rung up the ladder, but it’s a large one. You can see it, but you can’t completely understand it until you get there. Becoming a CEO is the culmination of hard work; a healthy, but in-check, ego; some luck; and much skill. But will that skill help you or hold you back? […]
Do you feel lucky? If you’re old enough, you might remember Clint Eastwood asking this in a Dirty Harry movie as he points a gun at a perp. That’s not quite the frame of mind I want to put you in. Rather, try this: Think about something that recently caused you to feel happy and […]
The lawn care crew came yesterday to do fall cleanup on our yard. We have a few trees that don’t drop leaves until December, so I’m often one of the last in the neighborhood to do this. I walked down to breakfast and as the sun came up, I thought, “The yard looks great!” Half […]
As I sat in the dental office awaiting my appointment, I pulled out a business magazine from the rack—Fortune, I believe. It was over a year old, but something on the cover caused me to peruse it. Inside was a feature article about a woman who was going to “crush” the cryptocurrency space (I suspect […]
A view of the owners’ box—with a new ownership group and president—at a Denver Broncos game surprised me (a Minnesota transplant from 30 years ago makes me more Broncos fan than Vikings). Several owners and the team president had their heads buried in their phones. I suspect they weren’t calling plays down to the new […]
“Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance!” —Unknown It’s a good idea to understand what happened when you fail. Not to dwell on it, but to learn. As an individual and as a business. It’s also valuable to understand what happened when you succeed. Not to claim the title […]
I recently heard a piece on National Public Radio celebrating the 40th anniversary of “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.” In his recap, the reporter highlighted the children’s transition from fear to curiosity in response to meeting the alien. This concept struck me. What a wonderful perspective! Perhaps not if you encounter a ravenous grizzly bear by yourself […]