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The core of leadership is in Step 2. One of my all-time favorite cartoons is this math-y cartoon by Sidney Harris.   But it’s not just math. The secret of great leadership, and the lesson new leaders need to learn, is that leadership happens in step 2. Leadership isn’t having […]

In an excellent recent longform essay, Tim Urban of Wait But Why unpacks How to Pick a Career (That Actually Fits You). I want to highlight one idea from early in the piece: Kids in school are kind of like employees of a company where someone else is the CEO. But no […]

How would you sing if you knew your audience was hearing choral music for the first time in their life? How would you sing if you knew your audience was hearing choral music for the last time in their life? I think in both cases, you would singing with passion, trying […]

When someone’s behavior doesn’t match your expectations, make a generous assumption. Assume that their failing is a result of being busier than you can imagine. Or assume that it’s because they’ve had a sinus infection. Assume their parent is in hospice, they’ve just lost a pet, they stubbed their toe in […]

In his new book The Culture Code, Daniel Coyle describes research into various kinds of feedback on student work, and how it influenced subsequent performance. Researchers discovered that one particular form of feedback boosted student effort and performance so immensely that they deemed it “magical feedback.” Students who received it chose to […]

“Can I do this?” is a perfectly appropriate question to ask at various points in a journey. The problem is, we ask it at the wrong time. If you’re a runner, you’re mostly likely to ask, “Can I do this?” as you reach the top of a big hill. With […]

A favorite thinker about creativity is the author Austin Kleon. He’s written two fabulous books: Steal Like an Artist and Show Your Work. Both have influenced my own creative arc, so I’ve continued to follow his own creative pursuits on Twitter and his website. He has really been struggling of late to figure out […]

A good artist must be a collector. All artists – even transformational ones – build on the creations that come before theirs. And so the best artists collect as much art as they can; collect images, collect recordings, collect ideas. When the time comes to create, your collection becomes a […]

A good novel has plenty of tricky situations – plot points that engage the reader and keep the story moving. Part of the fun for a careful reader is to see the challenges the author has set for herself, and wondering, “How is she going to find her way out?” […]

Whatever your beliefs about reincarnation, surely we can all agree that part of the reason the Dalai Lama is so very remarkable is that he was raised to be the Dalai Lama. The same goes for the notable wit and charm of many royal families; the same for anyone designated […]