The Power of Thanks
In "Sidetracked" Why Our Decisions Get Derailed, and How We Can Stick to the Plan," Francesca Gino, an associate professor at Harvard Business School, explores a range of fascinating subjects, including how emotions influence decisions and the often thorny matter of understanding the perspectives of others. Blending social science and real-world examples, Gino's book also highlights the science of... posted on Mar 28 2013, 9,833 reads

How Do You Measure Your Life?
"Every year, HBS Professor Clayton Christensen teaches students that well-tested academic theories can help them succeed not just in business, but in life. He expounds upon those lessons in his book, How Will You Measure Your Life? (...) "You'll see that without theory, we're at sea without a map or a sextant," Christensen writes. "If we can't see beyond what's close by, we're relying on chance --... posted on Mar 17 2013, 9,677 reads

The Connection Between Business & Poetry
"Dana Gioia (pronounced Joy-a) claims to be the only person in history who went to business school to be a poet. Having earned a degree from Stanford's graduate school of business, he worked 15 years in corporate life, eventually becoming vice president of General Foods. In 1991, Gioia wrote an influential collection of essays titled, "Can Poetry Matter?" in which he explored, among other themes, ... posted on Jan 28 2013, 15,286 reads

The 'E' For Empathy Test
"If you ever want to understand your boss, corner him (or her) at the next office party and see if he'll play a little game. Tell him you need only 30 seconds. Then ask your boss to extend his right forefinger. "Go ahead," you might need to assure him, "this won't hurt." Then ask him to take that extended finger and draw a capital E on his forehead. Does he draw the letter so that it faces him -- ... posted on Jan 18 2013, 16,634 reads

Dan Pink's Challenge to You
Some time ago when bad weather forced a commercial flight to divert to Hartford, Connecticut, some 106 miles north of its destination, the plane sat on the runway there for four hours -- without air-conditioning, food or water -- as babies wailed and adults anguished in the darkened cabin. The next day, the airline, which explained that the Hartford airport lacked the customs personnel to process... posted on Dec 26 2012, 10,125 reads

11 Must-Read Books for Young Leaders
"Recently, I wrote that leaders should be readers. Reading has a host of benefits for those who wish to occupy positions of leadership and develop into more relaxed, empathetic, and well-rounded people. One of the most common follow-up questions was, "Ok, so what should I read?" That's a tough question. There are a number of wonderful reading lists out there... But if I had to focus on a short lis... posted on Dec 19 2012, 33,356 reads

The Power of Failure, People & Karma Banking
Six months out of grad school Jim Fruchterman found himself at a rocket launchpad for one of the very first private enterprise rocket companies. "Our business manager was doing the countdown. 5-4-3-2-1, oh, BLEEP. The rocket blew up!" It was a pivotal failure in his trajectory. Fruchterman moved to the Bay Area and started his own rocket company. It failed. He helped start seven other high tech co... posted on Dec 12 2012, 15,247 reads

The Benefits of Poetry for Professionals
"Wallace Stevens was one of America's greatest poets. The author of "The Emperor of Ice-Cream" and "The Idea of Order at Key West" was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1955 and offered a prestigious faculty position at Harvard University. Stevens turned it down. He didn't want to give up his position as Vice President of the Hartford Accident and Indemnity Company...I've written in the pas... posted on Dec 07 2012, 0 reads

Take Your Life Back
"The waiter was halfway through taking my family's order when his manager called him away."Where did the waiter go?" Sophia, our seven-year-old, asked. Daniel, our five-year old, looked at me and then answered, "I think he had to take a conference call." Even before hearing Daniel's analysis of the waiter's momentary inattention, I knew I had a problem: I work all the time." What follows is the st... posted on Nov 30 2012, 26,660 reads

Are You As Busy As You Think You Are?
"There was a time, not so long ago, when I was busy, busy, busy. At least I thought I was. I told people I worked 60 hours a week. I claimed to sleep six hours a night. As I lamented to anyone stuck next to me at parties, I was basically too busy to breathe. Me time? Ha! Now I work 45 hours a week and sleep close to eight hours a night. But I'm not getting any less done." This Wall Street Journal ... posted on Nov 04 2012, 16,748 reads