John Engels' Blog
December 1, 2019
“I started life as a very shy kid, an oldest ‘supposed’ to be, a role model for the younger ones, who has tried very hard to guess at what was required, and to ‘pretend’ to be...
November 1, 2019
This is a true story, though the names are fictitious.
Siblings Betty and Barney had the closest of relationships growing up in the 1970s. Their four-room flat was sandwiched...
October 1, 2019
Most of us have slogans, mottoes, and ingrained beliefs rattling around in our heads that come to mind in particular situations. Those mantras can give us mental shorthand, a...
September 1, 2019
Dear college student,
There’s a group of people out there – besides your parents - who are talking about you all the time.
It’s the leaders of organizations who will be intervie...
August 2, 2019
A gracious invitation from the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police permitted me the privilege of presenting at their 2019 annual conference. I enjoyed participating...
July 1, 2019
An overseas client recently asked me what I thought was the greatest problem facing humanity.
My response: “Collective human ignorance.”
Human ignorance exacts a double toll o...
June 1, 2019
“Life did not take over the globe by combat,
but by…continual cooperation, strong interaction,
and mutual dependence among life forms.”
Dr. Lynn Margulis
Pioneering evolutionary b...
May 1, 2019
I can’t think of a single client whose organization is escaping the challenges of change. The changes span many dimensions – growth, physical moves, technology shifts, leader...
April 1, 2019
Quiet reflection time and meaningful conversations with people we trust can fuel our leadership in many ways – relaxation, clarity of thinking, and candid feedback, to name a...
March 2, 2019
One of the popular themes permeating our society is that of “emotional vulnerability.”
I recently heard the phrase, “In vulnerability is our power.”
I want to share my current...
December 31, 2018