“What gets us into trouble is not what we don’t know. It’s what we know for sure that just ain’t so.” – Mark Twain Each year I read approximately 30 books for the pure pleasure of creating in my imagination the sights and sounds and smells of the world that the author has created in…
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It’s what you learn after you know it all that really counts. – John Wooden As an avid reader and life-long learner, this quote by Coach John Wooden really speaks to me. I don’t want to wax too philosophical here, but life is a journey and we owe it to ourselves and those we influence…
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I was asked recently by a long time friend about the five best books on leadership that I’ve read. This friend, Sherry, donates a considerable amount of her time investing in the lives of young people. She’s mentoring people who will one day help shape their communities, who will someday govern our state and nation,…
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I like to read. In a typical year, I’ll consume between 50 and 70 books or audiobooks. Some of those are purely for entertainment purposes. I love authors who weave an engaging story with their words and who let my imagination do the rest. I also like to read books about non-work-related areas of my life. Topics such…
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If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?” Abraham Lincoln was reported to have said once when accused of playing both sides of an issue. It’s good to see a politician with a self-deprecating sense of humor. Scott Adams of Dilbert fame and the writers of The Office have some hysterical views on…
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“I truly believe that if you take care of your employees, they will take care of your business.” – Sir Richard Branson If Branson is to be believed, and his track record at The Virgin Group suggests that he knows what he’s doing, we’re left with the question: how do you take care of your…
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Want to talk about something controversial? Politics? Religion? Healthcare? Mere child’s play compared to the deeply entrenched beliefs about the effectiveness of the Scrum or Agile practices in software development shops. OK, maybe that’s a bit of a hyperbole, but the senior leadership that I’ve consulted with over the years tend to have impenetrable convictions about…
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Have you seen the hashtag #TODOZERO? I didn’t think so. It’s as elusive as Nessie, unicorns, and movies with protagonists played by Ray Liotta. It just doesn’t happen. There’s always something left undone at the end of the day, more work that could be done, more work that should be done. At some point, you have…
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“That’s not how we do it here.” Those words, when said by an authority figure such as a boss or team lead, can stifle innovative thinking and cap the creative juices that are necessary for an organization to adapt to a changing environment. I recently listened to John Kotter’s book by that title, That’s Not How…
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I like to read. I find it relaxing, I find it entertaining, and I find it informing. I like a wide range of books. Over the past year, I’ve read non-fiction books on leadership, on behavioral economics, on beekeeping, and on hiking the Appalachian Trail. I’ve read fictional works like Dune, The Old Man and the Sea,…
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