A Cold but Comforting Truth
I shared my annual Commencement Sampler for new grads last week, but an important entry just showed up today. One of the contributors to this year’s sampler was Dr. Scott Galloway (The Algebra of Wealth/Algebra of Life). At the risk of overexposure for Dr. Galloway, the newest post to his “No Mercy, No Malice” blog should be shared […]
“An Airplane Without Wings”
Entrepreneurship is about meeting unmet or underserved needs. Sometimes those needs are those of the entrepreneur. To wit, the Airstream Trailer (see above). In the 1920’s Wally Byam who had grown up in rural Oregon now lived in Los Angeles and missed the great outdoors. “Byam, a magazine publisher, couldn’t wait to ditch his suit and tie […]
Artificial Intelligence, Real Bubble?
If nothing else, Capitalism is about volatility. We’re all accustomed to periodic recessions; some even remember the Great Depression. But that volatility can be localized in industries as well. We call these “bubbles.” The first was in the 1600a in Holland and involved mindless speculation in tulips. Subsequent bubbles were no less chaotic, but ultimately had some economic rationale […]
A D-Day Leadership Lesson
As it’s Memorial Day weekend, I wanted to include a post about leadership in a military context. If you asked most Americans to name the most important military event in our history, the Normandy Invasion on June 6, D-Day during World War II would be one of the top responses. (The eightieth anniversary of what has been called […]
I Live a Life of Climb
“Being a CEO is not easy, but Vistage helps me overcome my biggest challenges.”Karen Norheim, CEO of American Crane and Equipment Company, Vistage Member since 2018 As a first-time CEO of American Crane and Equipment Company in Pennsylvania, Karen Norheim had to figure out how to lead through the crisis of the pandemic, and, a year […]
A “can’t miss” CEO level webinar on AI
Any time you can hear a presentation on AI from a speaker who is an expert on the topic, is a CEO who built two technology companies was, an E & Y Entrepreneur of the Year and a 15-year Vistage Member, you should make time for it. You can do so this Friday, May 31 at […]
The Importance of Making Your Bed
A few years ago, retired Navy Seal and Admiral William McRaven offered grads at the University of Texas at Austin some advice on changing the world, including not underestimating the number of people whose lives will be affected by theirs……and the importance of starting every day by making your bed properly (no kidding). Click here for the video and transcript of the […]
What to Unlearn After Graduation
Not everything learned in the warm cocoon of the academy is helpful and can even backfire in the real world. In this two-minute video, Ms. Welch identifies five lessons graduating seniors must UNLEARN immediately after college to be successful. Helpful advice before the first day on the job!
Will You be Lucky or Smart?
This 12 minute 2012 Commencement Address at Princeton is one of my favorites. Author Michael Lewis warns his audience not to overestimate their competence, or underestimate the role of luck, in their lives…and by way of illustration relates the chance encounter at a dinner party that launched his own remarkable career, and the moral obligation to share a little […]
The Gift of Grit
From the TED Site: “Leaving a high-flying job in consulting, Angela Lee Duckworth took a job teaching math to seventh graders in a New York public school. She quickly realized that IQ wasn’t the only thing separating the successful students from those who struggled. Here, she explains her theory of “grit” as a predictor of success.” Spend […]
