Search results for: vision
Seven Hallmarks of a Humble Leader
Benjamin Franklin once said, “there is perhaps not one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride. Beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive. Even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility.” Another…
Read MoreProblems
In the comic strip, Peanuts, a hapless Charlie Brown occasionally would be stalked by ominous rainclouds. Although the rest of the sky would shine bright and blue, poor Chuck would be stuck under a dark cloud, getting doused by its showers. While his friends and neighbors enjoyed the beauty of the day, a drenched Charlie…
Read MoreConnectors Keep it Simple
William Henry Harrison gave the longest inaugural address of any U.S. President, taking two hours to plod through a whopping 8,445-word speech. Even though the speech was delivered outdoors on a frigid and rainy day, the President stubbornly refused to wear an overcoat or hat. As a result, he caught a cold that developed into…
Read MoreTeamwork Principles from the Fight Against Poverty
While attending a convention in Mexico City, Michaela Walsh was disturbed by the stark reality of economic disadvantage faced by women in many parts of the world. Globally, women worked just as much as men, but earned only 10% of worldwide income, and held less than 1% of the world’s property. Walsh realized that most…
Read MoreA Dream that Passed the Test
President Barack Obama’s inauguration symbolized, in part, fulfillment of one of America’s noblest dreams – the dream of racial equality. Fittingly, President Obama took the oath of office at the same site where Martin Luther King, Jr. had given his legendary “I Have a Dream” speech almost 45 years earlier. An estimated 1.9 million onlookers…
Read MorePrinciple-Centered Planning: Part 2
This is a continuation of a previous article – click here to read Part One You may have heard the expression, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Well, Rome wasn’t built on accident, either. The coliseum, the pantheon, Saint Peter’s basilica… these architectural marvels weren’t the offspring of happenstance. They were created only after architects…
Read MoreLeadership Lessons from the Life of Saint Patrick
Lost in the midst of shamrocks, green-clad partygoers, and leprechauns there is a story of a tremendous leader – Saint Patrick. That we celebrate a holiday bearing his name 1,500 years after his death attests to the greatness of Ireland’s patron saint. Saint Patrick’s life teaches valuable lessons about the power of forgiveness. THE LIFE…
Read MoreFrom Class Dunce to World-Class Neurosurgeon: A Story of Empowerment
Ben Carson vividly remembers a playground conversation during which his fifth grade schoolmates selected him as the dumbest kid in their grade. In fact, after some debate, his classmates decided he was probably the dumbest kid in the world. Looking back from his vantage point as a world-renowned neurosurgeon, Dr. Carson can laugh at the…
Read MoreA Dream that Passed the Test
President Barack Obama’s inauguration symbolized, in part, fulfillment of one of America’s noblest dreams – the dream of racial equality. Fittingly, President Obama took the oath of office at the same site where Martin Luther King, Jr. had given his legendary “I Have a Dream” speech almost 45 years earlier. An estimated 1.9 million onlookers…
Read MoreThe Dilution Dilemma: Making Your Messages Matter
As a leader, do you ever feel your important messages fall on deaf ears? Are your carefully constructed and communicated strategies always getting implemented? Are you often frustrated by the difference between the results you ask of others and what you actually get? Leaders agonize when developing vision, mission and strategy. They carefully choose words…
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