Last of a Six-Part Series on The Tempting Ten Wallow Words (Links to previous parts below) Most of the Wallow Words in this series have a common cause. Fear. In the depths of the Great Depression, U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt famously declared in his first inaugural address in 1933, “The only thing we […]
Read post »Part Five of a Series on The Tempting Ten Wallow Words (Click to read Parts One, Two, Three, or Four) How much land does a man need? Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy wrote a short story with this title about Pahom, a peasant farmer who was given a chance for free land. Carrying a […]
Read post »Part Three of a Series on The Tempting Ten Wallow Words (Click to read Parts One and Two) Does this sound familiar… “Nowadays, people don’t ask you how you are, they say, ‘Are you busy?’ meaning, ‘Are you well?’ If someone actually does ask you how you are, the most cheerful answer, of […]
Read post »Part Two of a Series on The Tempting Ten Wallow Words (Click to read Part One) A central theme of my fictional story of Pete Leonard in Moose on the Table: A Novel Approach to Communications @ Work was how he gave his power away by acting as if he was powerless. He and his […]
Read post »Part One of a Series on The Tempting Ten Wallow Words Carl Sandburg, the American historian, poet, and novelist who won two Pulitzer Prizes, once said, “There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud.” With today’s urgent streams of […]
Read post »In a small pub in the highlands of Scotland, a group of fishermen gathered one afternoon to swap tales over a round of ale. One of them stretched his arms apart to show the big one that got away. At that very point, a server walked past carrying a tray of full ale glasses. The […]
Read post »Early in my career, I worked in a company led by an inspiring and emotionally intelligent CEO. He often said, “If you love what you’re doing, you never have to work again.” I loved that idea. Most of us hate work. It’s a four-letter word. Hard work is why I left our family farm. Whenever […]
Read post »When Mark was 6 years old, his parents took him to a movie. Kids under 5 got in free. His parents told the cashier he was 5, and they didn’t have to pay for Mark. Reacting to his quizzical look as they walked into the theatre, Mark’s Mom said, “It’s OK, son, everybody does it.” […]
Read post »Neuroscientist and Emotional Intelligence author, Robert Cooper, made several trips to Tibet as part of his research on the inner side of leadership. He quotes a wise elder who became a mentor and guide, “It is from the heart.” He touched his palm to his chest. “In Tibet, we call it authentic presence. It means, […]
Read post »In their book, Learning to Lead, Warren Bennis and Joan Goldsmith, write, “To be authentic is literally to be your own author (the words derive from the same Greek root), to discover your native energies and desires, and then find your own way of acting on them. When you have done that, you are not […]
Read post »A two-minute video tells an inspiring story of honesty and integrity. Kenyan runner Abel Mutai was just a few feet from the finish line but became confused with the signage and stopped. He thought he’d finished the race. A Spanish athlete, Iván Fernández, was right behind him. Realizing what was happening, he started shouting at […]
Read post »When we’re bogged down wallowing in the swamp, we’re often mired in negativity, pessimism, and fear. Decades of studies show that pessimism dramatically increases sickness and depression and hastens death. Future historians might look back to our day and marvel at our unhygienic practices of “emotional germ theory.” Here are a few examples of how […]
Read post »Last week’s post discussed our choices in stepping up or slipping down when facing turbulence, adversity, or unwanted change. This often involves suffering or loss — a loved one, our health or physical mobility, a relationship, a job, money, autonomy, control, or status. It’s so easy — and often comes too naturally — to slip […]
Read post »Many people in leadership roles don’t act like leaders. Conversely, people without formal authority can be very strong leaders. Most of us aspire to lead our family, communities, professions, relationships, or workplaces. Leaders are inspired and inspire others. A central theme in my decades of trying to understand, apply, and teach leadership skills is […]
Read post »A few years ago, my wife, Heather, broke her ankle slipping on the ice in our driveway. No one heard her cries for help as she lay in pain. The snowbanks prevented any neighbors or people driving past noticing her. She dragged herself back up the frozen driveway to the side door. She yelled for […]
Read post »“I’m addicted to e-mail. My endorphins spike when I get a message. And when there are no messages, loneliness and despair overcome me.” Does that comic strip quip feel familiar? Many of us have a love/hate relationship with e-mail. It’s a great tool for staying in touch with many people. But it can easily take […]
Read post »Last week’s review of Superabundance: The Story of Population Growth, Innovation, and Human Flourishing on an Infinitely Bountiful Planet generated a good LinkedIn discussion in The Letter Leader. Paul Born’s comment on Canada’s significant reduction in poverty rates is a great example of the progress documented in Superabundance. Here are a few quotes of note […]
Read post »Back in the day, I took a very depressing university course featuring the Club of Rome’s 1972 report, The Limits to Growth. Falling into that ageless prediction and prophesy sinkhole, this group of prognosticators forecasts that we will exhaust all of the earth’s resources and energy sources within 50 years. They foresaw overpopulation, mass starvation, […]
Read post »“The Great Resignation” is part of a greater rethink about what matters most at work — and in life. The pandemic forced a pause that gifted us with time to step back and search more deeply for purpose and meaning. The last seven posts focused on Frank’s search for spirit and meaning. This seven-part series […]
Read post »Last in a 7-part series: Let’s Be Frank about Spirit and Meaning (Links below to previous installments) That greener grass on the other side of the fence often turns out to be spray painted. Frank had broken through his “trapped emptiness.” He had a renewed sense of hope and purpose. He was energized. Life was […]
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