My wife Eleanor and I were walking up a mountain road, enjoying a rare moment of being alone together. As we rounded a bend, we saw a friend, Nancy,* not too far ahead. When we caught up with her she suggested we walk together. I've known Nancy … [Read more...]
The Power of Workplace Do-It-Yourself
December 20, 2011 By 1 Comment
Plural Investments*, a hedge fund started several years ago, had a problem. They needed art on the walls of their New York City offices. It was a small problem of no strategic importance, one that could be solved quickly and effortlessly by simply … [Read more...]
How to Avoid Becoming a Person You Hate
November 15, 2011 By 8 Comments
I was so angry my whole body was shaking. I stared at Günther* with hate, my left hand in a fist and my right hand gripping a tennis racket as a weapon. I was ready to kill him. Was this really me? I had returned to Ann Bradney's extraordinary … [Read more...]
Three Questions that Help Me Live a Fulfilling Life
August 16, 2011 By 4 Comments
I am on a plane with my wife Eleanor as we fly back from our once-a-year-without-children vacation. It was, for us, the perfect week. After years of planning vacations, we've finally figured out how to reliably create a meaningful, fun, fulfilling … [Read more...]
A Simple Communication Mistake to Avoid
April 8, 2011 By
Eleanor and I were fast asleep at my parents' house in upstate New York when my five-year-old daughter Sophia came running in. "Look out the window!" she screamed, as she pulled on our shades. I looked at my watch: 6 a.m. Not bad. Sophia … [Read more...]
Solving Your Organization’s Open-Faced Sandwich
March 30, 2011 By
I stepped up to the counter and ordered a bagel with smoked salmon and cream cheese. I asked for the sandwich to be open-faced, "with salmon on both sides of the bagel so my friend and I can share it." "No problem," Andrea*, the … [Read more...]
Don’t Be Nice; Be Helpful
March 16, 2011 By
Ron* was up next. As a senior analyst in this investment firm — and a good one — he knew a lot about the company he was about to pitch to the management committee. He paused for a minute as he sorted through the pages of numbers in front … [Read more...]
The Right Way to Respond to Failure
March 10, 2011 By
My wife Eleanor and I were visiting some friends on a Saturday when their nine-year-old daughter, Dana*, came home. She was close to tears, barely holding it together. "Oh sweetie," her mom said. "What happened at the swim … [Read more...]
