What I learned from aikido master Richard Strozzi-Heckler.
effective communications
Reframing as a Springboard to Breakthrough: the Case of Hugh Herr
“I’m not handicapped, the technology is.”
– Hugh Herr, Director of MIT Media Lab’s Biomechatronics Research Group.
Are You a Winner or a Contributor?
As a writer, I’m always tweaking narratives to make them clearer and more helpful. But it’s also a useful skill in life. When we step out of our comfort zone, our discomfort often prompts us to step back. Instead, we can try telling ourselves a different story. It works!
Buzzwords We Can Believe In
Popular buzz words and buzz phrases of the day can tell us a lot about workplace conditions. Often, they are brought to fore by the realities of the times. What do today’s buzz words of empathy and mindfulness tell us about our own working conditions?
Thinking Out Loud
A high-profile Silicon Valley sex discrimination trial hinged in part on a thorny question: What is thought leadership? I spoke with magazine editor to Joel Kurtzman, author Jim Kouzes, and professor of leadership and learning Herminia Ibarra for their thoughts on this subject.
Why “Keeping It Simple” Can Be a Complicated Mistake
While many organizations are focused on the mantra of fostering change, the time and space dedicated to stimulating thoughtful conversation is disappearing. Instead, it has become all too common to think short term, to look for quick fixes, and to focus on getting through today rather than building the groundwork for a better tomorrow.
Laura Rittenhouse’s Candor Analytics
Former Lehman Brothers executive Laura Rittenhouse started an investor relations company after reading one of Warren Buffett’s famously folksy shareholder letters. Rittenhouse set up to build a company to help clients communicate more effectively with their investors.
Beyond Power Point Part II
Preparing to give a big speech is different when you decide not to use PowerPoint, an option that’s becoming a lot more popular as I discussed in my last post. On the plus side, you don’t have to spend huge amounts of time prepping the slides, trying to get the images and words just right. … Read more
Beyond PowerPoint
I’m in the gorgeous Paradise Valley- Scottsdale AZ- keynoting one of the world’s premier women’s leadership conferences for Navigant. As always when keynoting, I went without PowerPoint- something that gets initial pushback from clients but wins me points when I’m done. Afterwards, one of the senior executives from Navigant came up and told me that … Read more
Charles Landry Knows What Makes Cities Great: Distinction, Variety, and Flow
Consultant, writer, and thinker Charles Landry has spent his life considering exactly what drives talented people to a particular city or region. As founder of Comedia, Landry works clients worldwide to identify and build support systems that are effective in attracting the best workers.
Our Fragmented Attention
One of my own favorite writers, the Jesuit priest James Martin, is noting the negative impact of technology on our capacity to pray