Posts Tagged ‘Decisions’
Forgotten Failures
Abraham Wald was a Hungarian Jew who fought in WWII and was responsible for untold numbers of pilots and crew members coming back alive from engagements over Europe. He did all this from an office in New York City. His weapons were mathematics and statistics, and his battlefield was data used to create solutions to…
Read MoreThe Real Magic Of Leadership
My daughter and I love to watch movies together. Since she is currently home for the holidays, we recently watched “Encanto” (we love Disney movies), and I was intrigued by many aspects of the story. The most relevant one for me involved the matriarch of a magical family and the way her leadership impacted all…
Read MoreFickle Food
As I watched the responses this week to a certain coach leaving a certain football program, I was reminded of this quote: “Fame is a fickle food upon a shifting plate.” Emily Dickenson It is not unusual for a leader to be a hero one minute and a scourge the next. Did the character of…
Read MoreIn Dreams Begin Responsibilities
Delmore Schwartz wrote “In Dreams Begin Responsibilities” in 1937 when he was only 23. Though he wrote for the rest of his turbulent life, he was plagued by alcoholism and mental illness and unable to match his early success. As a result of alcohol and drug abuse, he died alone and mostly forgotten in 1966.…
Read MorePyromaniacs
I love fireworks. I have always had a fascination with fire and explosions. So much so, that as a very young person I read everything I could find about pyrotechnics (fireworks) and started experimenting to make my own fireworks. My parents had given me a fairly extensive chemistry set for a Christmas present, and I…
Read MoreMy Prerogative
“Man is not, by nature, deserving of all that he wants. When we think that we are automatically entitled to something, that is when we start walking all over others to get it.” Criss Jami My greatest concern as I watch the events of this last election cycle unfold is not who is in the…
Read MoreIntentional Unintentionality
Spencer Silver failed in 1968. He was trying to develop a new super-strong glue for his employer, 3M, but instead, he created the opposite: an adhesive that stuck to objects but could be easily lifted off. He tried to get the folks at 3M to see the potential for his new adhesive, but it took…
Read MoreThe Rent Is Due
A highlight of my week is spending time each Monday evening with guys at one of the HIA houses. If you haven’t heard of Hope Is Alive, check them out. Almost everyone is affected by addiction, and HIA offers what I believe to be the most successful support for recovery I have ever seen. This past Monday, I was…
Read MoreStranger Things
My youngest son and I watched all three seasons of the Netflix series, Stranger Things, and eagerly anticipate the release of season four. If you have not watched or even heard of this award winning and critically acclaimed masterpiece, I am truly sorry for you. However, I can easily give you enough background for the rest…
Read MoreDuck, Duck, Goose
On my morning walk, I pass a small lake where several geese families live. Earlier this spring, the goslings started showing up. Ultimately there were three sets of goslings that came every morning to graze in one of the lawns next to the lake. The first family had three goslings the first time I saw…
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