I'm a huge fan of system dynamics and the understanding of complex systems that has come from the field that Jay Forrester invented. This is a superb article by the late Donella Meadows about the leverage points in complex systems, in ascending order of effectiveness....
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Do we control our own outcomes?
A friend thought it was funny that I'm an executive and life coach who believe we have limited ability to affect our own outcomes. It would be more accurate to say I believe we have limited ability to predict the effects of our actions on our outcomes. What we do...
Success Principles are Often Bull&%$# !
I ran across an article purporting to give principles necessary for success. I don't buy it. Popular culture is full of "how to be successful" advice that's pure bunk. It's mostly made up by salespeople, based on disproven sports mythology. "Work harder" is great...
Harvard Business Review included my article
Harvard Business Review included my article "Culture as Communication" in the Fall 2013 issue of HBR OnPoint. I'm very happy and flattered!
Living an Extraordinary Life
Want an intriguing program to listen to this weekend? I do what I do is because I'm deeply committed to helping people live their full potential, especially when they have world-changing dreams. My background in business, entrepreneurship, and cognitive psychology...
Your Framing Changes the World
The way we frame things mentally determines how powerfully we'll be able to handle them. I auditioned for Spamalot at a local theater last night. After checking in, they informed me that I was in the very last audition slot. That gave me the "opportunity" to listen to...
In Praise of the Corporation
I'm in awe. Normally, I'm not a huge fan of big corporations. I think they often (but not always) dehumanize the people who work there. They can ruin communities in the name of efficient and cost-cutting, and they distribute wealth in truly bizarre ways. But... But......
Can you align business with ethics?
Is business anti-ethical by nature? I'm reading an article today about how it's in no one's business interest to help protect consumers whose cell phones get stolen. Cell phone companies make more money when a customer's phone is stolen, since the customer has to buy...
Don’t be a victim in or out of the workplace.
I have said many times in my podcast and out of it that if you can take some measure of internal ownership for bad things that happen in your life—even ownership of very small parts of the situation—it can lead to a feeling of deep control and...
The downside of personal branding
Personal branding is all the rage, but it has its hidden downsides as well. As I prepare to give my Living an Extraordinary Life presentation for Harvard Business School’s alumni webinar series, I am realizing that personal branding can become an impediment as...