Leave Them Smiling

“I was in Philadelphia airport on the way to Hawaii for my niece’s destination wedding when my wife and I discovered we were in the wrong terminal. I stood there fuming, surrounded by a lot of luggage. I wanted to take out my frustration on someone…but of course, none...

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White Lies

“Hope Hicks Acknowledges She Sometimes Tells White Lies For Trump”, Nicholas Fandos, February 27, The New York Times. And thereby Hicks, now former White House communications director, ended her ability to convince anyone to believe what she says. Forever. That’s the odd thing about admitting you are willing to lie in...

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Rude Color Glasses

Recently I was in a diner enjoying breakfast and a little calm time before my hectic day began. Suddenly, I overheard a guy at the next table loudly harass the server because his scrambled eggs were a little too watery for his taste. It seems he likes them well...

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Robots…Or Scissors?

The Hyundai plant in Montgomery Alabama consists of a 3.2 million square foot structure sitting on 1700 acres. 395,00 cars are built there every year by 3,000 team members. And hundreds of robots. A few years ago, I led a consulting project which required me to visit the newly opened...

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A Hellish Decision

Imagine St. Peter standing at the Gates of Heaven, assessing whether or not to admit those seeking entry. To some supplicants, he offers a look at hell, indicating that this is their final home. Imagine their delight when they see a place where everyone is partying. They happily tell...

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The Measure of Leaders

“It’s in moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.” Such is the wisdom I obtained the other day from a fortune cookie. It’s a familiar message, one stated more notably by Martin Luther King Jr.: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but...

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Breaking Through the Bottleneck

I was looking forward to drinking a 2008 Listrac Medoc from Chateau Reverdi. Not one of the best wines of the region but still a nice thing for a lazy evening of hamburgers on the grill. Now there I stood, helplessly looking at the partially opened bottle sitting on my...

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Metrics Done Right

I love metrics....with a caveat In a recent missive, I wrote about how important it is to set big long-term goals. It’s hard to accomplish big, scary long-term goals without setting metrics to guide the path. But you have to do metrics right. Metrics done right are wonderful for letting you...

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