Most leaders I know think they are lucid, and believe their decisions are guided by facts and hard evidence. The vast majority of us don’t imagine ourselves to be emotionally out of control. Nor do we believe we project our emotional needs on others. Well, here’s a litmus test: If you’re a parent, a business leader or a spouse, and you want to better understand how emotional factors influence human decisions, pay attention to pet trends. I began thinking about this in ear

A company president asked, “What are some of the leadership goals you try to promote?” I sent him the following list, and offer it to a wider audience of leaders for consideration: Agnostic curiosity Asking a question with the attitude of wanting to discover something new: “I’m more interested in exploring than in leading you to my solution.” Humble swagger Confidence tempered by the sober recognition of dumb luck in one’s success: “Yes, I’ve worked hard, and acknowledge m

The end of one year, the beginning of the next. I am wishing you continued learning and insight in 2016. In that spirit, I will offer a few thoughts on the nature of humility in leadership. Throughout the course of my life and career, the leaders who have stood out the most display genuine humility. It’s one of those qualities that stands above the rest, something you recognize in a thousand small gestures, but is difficult to manufacture. I’m not talking about the f

If a hermit can’t avoid relationship tensions, can you? Noah Rondeau’s strategy for dodging people conflicts was to avoid relationships altogether. The famous Adirondack Mountain hermit wrote that he was “not well satisfied with the world and its trends,” and moved to a remote area of the Cold River Wilderness at age 46, calling himself “The Mayor of Cold River City (Population 1).” Even in the wilderness, Rondeau couldn’t escape relationship challenges. He developed an en

At this time of year, it’s hard not to think about all the individuals who have had a hand in helping me stay above water throughout my lifetime. I bring to Thanksgiving a long list of “buoys.” I got thinking about what has meant the most to me in those key relationships. What became clear is that the people who have had the biggest impact have affected me mostly by their presence. By “presence,” I mean my connection with them was rooted not in expertise, advice or materi

Last month, I presented five leadership problems that confront today’s parents. I realize that many of my readers are not parents, and would not have found last month’s blog particularly relevant. That won’t happen this month. Virtually everyone has to contend with life outside the home – in workplaces, civic institutions, and enterprises of all kinds. With that in mind, I turn my attention to five of the most serious problems facing leaders of organizations. 1. Leade

Modern society has become one big mess. At least, that’s what Donald Trump says. Mr. Trump has been busy bucking convention. That strategy has ratcheted up his popularity, which might suggest that people are fed up with convention. That might be true in principle, but in reality, most leaders I know are stuck in convention, as if in quicksand. In fact, I would say that of all the dumb things leaders do to make matters worse instead of better, the one that stands out is

Two years ago, I visited the center of the Tibetan world, the small Himalayan city of Dharamsala, in Northwestern India. In that tranquil place, nestled amid the snow-capped peaks, reside thousands of Tibetans with their spiritual leader, His Holiness The Dalai Lama. In the morning and evening, hundreds of monks and nuns fill the streets of Dharamsala, walking to and from their study of ancient, spiritual teachings, Buddhist meditations and simplicity of life. One early

Many of the larger communities in the USA offer business awards called “Forty Under Forty” or “Thirty Under Thirty.” The awards recognize exemplary achievements of a limited group of individuals in those age categories. I’ve seen numerous résumés that include the line item, “Recipient of the prestigious Forty-Under-Forty award.” It’s obviously viewed by many as a milestone achievement. But the concept has gone too far. Incredibly, there’s now a “Six Under Six” award f

People can maintain an unshakable faith in any proposition, however absurd, when they are sustained by a community of like-minded believers. Daniel Kahneman - Thinking Fast and Slow When I was teenager, my mother used a clever analogy to promote her prejudice against less flashy individuals: “An introvert,” she said, “is like food without salt. It’s still nutritious, it’s still food, but it’s flat and tasteless.” From this example emerged a bias in our family against