“Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the mouth.” Truer words were never spoken. In this case the philosopher was former...

Just because people are clapping, doesn’t mean they agree. A few years ago, I did a mini speaking tour in Eastern Europe – one of my...

How do you win when you’re in a position that is strategically unwinnable? A “Kobayashi Maru” is any situation in which all available...

Every great and truly interesting villain believes they are the good guy. Darth Vader believed he was bringing a more efficient galactic...

Sometimes we must be broken before we are ready to change. I heard an impactful homily this year from a priest that I greatly respect. He...

The world is facing a hydra of social tensions unlike any other time in the last hundred years. Leaders and organizational cultures will...

Some of the best lessons in life are hard to hear. Early in my career, I was fortunate enough to have several key mentors who were...

In the wake of the 2016 US election season, I did a lot of reflecting about online behavior – for myself and leaders in general. As I...

I won’t waste time writing anything clever in this post. All of your lives around the world have been disrupted as we all adjust to the...

Whether you’re the newest intern or CEO, most people in an organization recognize that everyone has a functional role to play in a highly...

Nothing is inevitable. Success and failure have little to do with fate. They have everything to do with the ability to dream big, while...

Is your organization led by the best, or by the “survivors”? There are many reasons certain people find themselves in positions of...

As a mentor for leaders, there are some conversations you have over-and-over again. One common conversation begins with a statement like...

Life lessons about interpersonal conflict sometimes come from unexpected sources. In this case, it's a maximum security prison. My father...

How do you know when it’s time to let go? A wise friend once told me a story about a hunter. This hunter’s tribe lived in an area with...

Don't be fooled by those smilin' Irish eyes. Beneath that sunny disposition lurks a dark and terrible storm waiting to be unleashed. We...

When the guy above walks into your office, will you be ready? Some tasks are inherently unpleasant. No one likes rinsing out a garbage...

You cannot “balance” aspects of life that are inherently unequal. To attempt to do so produces nothing but pain and fruitless sacrifice...

I’ve recently discovered one of the great benefits of entering the early middle-aged phase of life: some of the things I loved in my...

If you ever study a martial art that includes real competition or sparring, like boxing and jujitsu, you’ll learn one thing very quickly....