Day 154 – Integrity Requires a Foundation
Integrity is often praised as one of the highest virtues—doing the right thing, being honest, staying consistent in your actions. But have you ever stopped to ask: What is the right thing? What does it mean to be honest? What standard determines consistency? The truth is, integrity cannot stand alone. It requires something deeper—a foundation. […]
Day 153 – The Power of Leader’s Intent
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to attend a leadership retreat at West Point. It was a rare chance to learn from former military leaders—men and women who had spent their careers making high-stakes decisions in rapidly evolving environments. Their lessons weren’t theoretical. These were principles tested in the field, under pressure, when […]
Day 152 – Three Feet from Grapes: A Parable on Giving Up Too Soon
Thomas Edison once remarked, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” There’s also an old Chinese proverb, though its exact origin is uncertain, that says something to the effect of: “The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about […]
Day 151 – The Monster in the Closet
When I was a child, I was convinced there was something lurking in my closet. Some great and terrible beast, waiting in the darkness, poised to devour me the moment I let my guard down. I remember lying in bed, heart pounding, staring at the closed door, too terrified to move. The fear felt enormous, […]
Day 150 – Temporal Alignment Paradox
There was a time in my career when I found myself deeply perplexed. I had worked tirelessly to analyze a critical business decision, gathering data, weighing risks, and ultimately presenting what I believed was the best path forward for the company. Yet, despite my efforts, leadership chose a different course. Frustrated, I eventually left the […]
Day 149 – The Power of Providing Context
Have you ever made a simple request at work, only to be met with follow-up questions or puzzled expressions? It’s not that people don’t want to help—it’s often that they don’t have the necessary context to act on your request effectively. And when they don’t have context, their first instinct is to ask for it, […]
Day 148 – Where are you in the Ant Hive?
As a child growing up in western Colorado, I spent more time than I care to admit staring at ant hills. I would crouch down, watching the tiny creatures scurry about, each one seemingly locked into some predetermined task. But I had questions—lots of them. How did they know what to do? Who decided where […]
The Complexity of Hope
Hope is just not that simple. The idea of hope is a layered experience that is complicated. We usually wrestle with hope when we are feeling the most vulnerable, as it is always the idea that propels us forward when we are facing the worst. Anticipation. Desire. Optimism. These are all related to the idea […]
Day 146 – The Power Behind Attention
One of the most useful principles I’ve discovered in business—and in life—is this: What gets your attention most likely gets other people’s attention. It’s a simple concept, but one that holds tremendous power. No matter how wealthy, influential, or important a person is, they are still human. They respond to the same basic stimuli, emotions, […]
Day 145 – Challenging the Conventional
In the face of adversity, most people look for well-worn paths. They seek safety in precedent, reassurance in consensus, and comfort in conventional wisdom. But history tells a different story—one where those who challenge the norm, question the accepted, and venture beyond the obvious often find success where others saw only failure. This pattern isn’t […]