People seem to have the wrong idea about competition. Markets are not happy places where everyone with a website and a product gets rich, and workplaces are not like a Walmart Black Friday brawl where the last one standing gets the promotion. On the contrary, markets are competitive, workplaces are[…] Read On
In case you haven’t noticed I’m a storyteller who’s lived a relatively interesting life, especially back in the 70s and 80s. Actually the 90s were pretty wild too. Hmm, and the 00s, now that was a good time. Come to think of it, just last week … never mind. You[…] Read On
I hereby declare 2019 the year of the overwrought headline. A BuzzFeed reporter wrote a gazillion word screed declaring millennials the burnout generation after realizing that simple tasks like running errands and replying to emails had just become too stressful for her. The woman is clearly a neurotic mess. I[…] Read On
I do not believe in a formulaic view of success. There is no formula for a great career or a wonderful life. There are simply too many variables. Too much randomness. Too many opportunities to screw up, to take the wrong path, to make the wrong decision. As if that[…] Read On
Coddling is clearly the worst thing to happen to our culture. It negatively impacts success outcomes in ways that most people are not even aware of. Coddling represses personal accountability, work ethic and competitive spirit, but its most insidious impact is emotional. By removing the shame of poor performance and[…] Read On
Last week I got drawn into a lengthy Twitter debate on the value and validity of IQ tests. Personally, I think the whole concept of intelligence testing is dumb. It can also be self-fulfilling or self-defeating depending on the person. I know that sounds paradoxical but trust me – I’ve[…] Read On
I started writing about the toxic triggers I want to leave behind in 2018 when a Google search turned up a Marshall Goldsmith book called Triggers: Creating Behavior That Lasts—Becoming the Person You Want to Be. I would have gone with one subhead or the other, but that’s just me.[…] Read On