Prominently displayed on the milk in my fridge is an expiration date. Looking around the kitchen, my chicken breasts, Doritos, tomatoes, and eggs also show a date of expiration. Even beer now has as “must be sold by” date of no return. This makes great sense for food and medication — a time whereby their … Read more
beckysue
While studying jazz guitar at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, I had the privilege to study with the legendary Mick Goodrick. As a young and hungry musician, I was especially frustrated at one point after reaching a seemingly impossible plateau. Goodrick offered profound advice on how to overcome my deeply technical musical problem: … Read more
Inspiration comes from unlikely places. For some, nature is a source of ideation. For others, family and friends can give a twist of insight into something unrelated to your actual discussion. For me, I constantly find nuggets of wisdom in music — sometimes in lyrics, sometimes in a pattern, and sometimes just in the way … Read more
A sealed bottle of water will break even the strongest containers when placed in a freezer and allowed to expand. The extra pressure created just has to come out, one way or another. The same is true for honest feedback, critique and assessment. The real question in your organization is … where does it come out? In … Read more
Gac Filipaj, a refugee from the former Yugoslavia, arrived in America not knowing a word of English. He came here with nothing but a dream and an unwavering commitment to realizing it. He landed a job as a janitor at Columbia University, doing the most unpleasant tasks such as emptying trash and cleaning toilets. Rather … Read more
“Stop trying to reinvent the wheel,” Bob says in a snarky tone. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” Tell that to the researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology who designed the Copenhagen Wheel. Quite literally, they reinvented the wheel, the very device we’ve all been admonished not to disrupt. The Copenhagen Wheel fits on … Read more
Justin Bieber is a very talented musician. He’s a gifted singer, instrumentalist, dancer and entertainer. With youth, talent and success, he should be admired and respected by all. Instead, he’s doing a spectacular job of squandering the incredible opportunity at his disposal through his narcissistic displays of immaturity. Artists create not only to indulge their … Read more
At a recent lunch in downtown Detroit, I received a very thoughtful fortune inside my after-meal cookie. Unlike the platitudes that often fill these crunchy treats, this ‘fortune’ really got me thinking. The crumpled white paper read, “Great things are made of little things.” This simple, yet profound thought stayed with me for days. It … Read more
“Jim, we’re in this mess because of you!” “I told you we’d lose the client, Jane. This is all your fault. You never get it right!” “The kids wouldn’t behave this way if you weren’t such a bad father, Bill.” We’ve all heard words like this from bosses, parents, spouses, teachers and colleagues. I’m sure … Read more
Dear weekly blog readers… It’s hard to believe it has been over three years since the launch of my book on creativity and innovation, Disciplined Dreaming. Today, I am thrilled to announce the debut of my new book, The Road to Reinvention: How to Drive Disruption and Accelerate Transformation. I’m proud of the work and truly believe … Read more