Happy Fourth! As those who read my newsletter know, we are on vacation in Europe at the time of the publication of this blog post. And while I usually shy away from any political topics in this business blog, I think it is appropriate to pause and think about patriotism on this day. I believe that is especially appropriate when …
Three Parallel Universes: I’m speaking of Organizations (including businesses), Personal Lives, and the Public Square. There seem to be many parallels in those three universes. Of course, this should not be surprising since each comprises individuals from the subspecies Homo sapiens sapiens. Public Square Now, I have no intention of turning this into a political post, so let me get …
Comparisons: Well-made analogies can be quite useful, informative, and enlightening. Or, they can be ill-formed and carried too far. Here’s a definition: a·nal·o·gy: a comparison between two things, typically based on their structure and for explanation or clarification. That seems straightforward enough. I like analogies and use them often. But some common analogies I find to be less than useful. …
I’ll call him “Bill.” He is a good friend, a wise mentor and an all around great guy. I listen carefully when Bill speaks. Recently, we’ve traded a few emails on the general topic of politics, economy and business. What I love about our “conversation,” electronic though it is, is that we are not trying to change the other person’s …
There are few commentators, “speaking heads,” who I respect more than Fareed Zakaria. Most have little of value to add to the so called “news” of the day and ask what seems to me to be pretty inane questions much of the time. Zakaria digs in; and this book is no exception to his professional pursuit of a new view. …