David Lee Roth, the legendary lead singer for the band Van Halen, was the poster child for 1980s excess. He was chastised in the news media for demanding only non-brown M&M’s in his dressing room, the obvious sign of a narcissistic diva. While his ego may have been the size of the stadiums he rocked, … Read more
beckysue
Scientists have long been enamored with the concept of chain reactions. A chemical change, for example, triggers a change in a nearby chemical, which in turn triggers change in other surrounding forms. In the case of a drop of water radiating out to impact an entire still lake, a single action can create far-reaching impact. … Read more
The football coaches at Utah’s Union High School decided to make a bold decision. With reports of poor grades, cyber-bullying, and attitude problems, the coaches were unwilling to support the declining behavior of their team. So right before the big homecoming game, they decided to suspend the entire group. Every team member was instructed to … Read more
Classical musicians possess a number of enviable qualities such as discipline, precision and attention to detail. In a symphonic setting, they play the notes from the musical score with incredible accuracy, commanding their instruments to play precisely what the composer has documented. Intricate details such as attack and release, volume, tempo and vibrato are carefully … Read more
Learning from others who have succeeded before you can be a difference-maker in your own pursuits. In fact, strong advisers have played a key role in the achievement of nearly every celebrated leader. The challenge is, how do you connect with the best mentors and persuade them to contribute to your success? I’ve observed that … Read more
I never had a dog growing up. In fact, for years I didn’t really understand what all the fuss was about. Pets seemed messy, expensive and illogical. And then, without planning or consideration, I came across a puppy that was irresistible. So in mid-July, a new member was added to the family — da Vinci. … Read more
There appears to be a massive achievement gap in our country. The large number of people that have a big goal to accomplish dwarfs the small number of those that actually achieve it. Working with many startups and high-performance leaders over the years, I’ve observed a pattern that is followed by those who rack up … Read more
Most people who are struggling and want to improve their situation aren’t lacking vision. While they may not know the exact path forward, they have clarity on what a better career, family, or community might look like. It’s easy to imagine a job where you get to contribute your best work, have the respect of … Read more
Plan Z … Chances are your parents instructed you to always have Plan B. We all are familiar with this concept — a fallback plan in the event things go very wrong. The notion is so widespread that it’s even the name of a morning-after contraceptive pill. Most people first focus on their careers, which … Read more
The dog ate my homework … Jan was furious she didn’t get that big promotion. “I deserved it,” she complained. “The boss is a jerk. My company doesn’t get it. The person who got the promotion instead of me is a suck-up.” When life doesn’t go the way we hope, it’s easy to attribute blame … Read more