Dig Deeper.

Articles, book reviews and thoughts on executive coaching, communications and the world of business.

He was Insanely Great

October 5, 2011|

A lot of people much smarter than me will be blogging about Steve Jobs and his effect on all our lives, but I'll let his own words speak for him. From his 2005 Commencement speech [...]

Credit Due

September 22, 2011|

Southwest Airlines, about which my co-authors Kevin and Jackie wrote so brilliantly, gets all the great customer service stories and American gets far fewer, so when there's a great story, it's a pleasure to share [...]

More on Black Swans

September 4, 2011|

I'm seeing lots of articles with tips on how to "black-swan" proof your portfolio, to which I say, "Good luck." To quote the leadership gurus at Monty Python, "No one expects the Spanish Inquisition." However, [...]

Cooking Up a Culture of Innovation

September 4, 2011|

Chef Alice Waters founded the landmark American restaurant Chez Panisse forty years ago and, in doing so, created a revolution in culinary culture that swept the world. In her new book, 40 Years of Chez [...]

Passion-Based Products

August 29, 2011|

A great article in Britain’s CAR magazine about Jonathon Ward and his company, Icon, which hand makes custom 4X4s based on early and elemental Toyota Landcruisers and Jeep CJs. These aren’t kit cars, they are [...]

The Black Swan

August 25, 2011|

This column by Peter Daniel Haworth caught my eye and reminded me of the Theory of the Black Swan, the rara avis (that means rare bird) of events, the unthinkable thing that can never happen. [...]

A View From Europe

August 8, 2011|

I NEVER, NEVER discuss politics in a business setting, much less blog about them. Instead, I discuss wine, noting that there are vineyards in the South of France (Chateau Ausone, for one) that have been [...]

The Titanic’s Sister Ships

July 22, 2011|

Innovation is hard. Innovation means change. We have to build a culture that embraces change, a culture that is literally hungry for it. Because when you have a workforce that resists change, you know what [...]

Neo Nurture

July 16, 2011|

Infant mortality is a big problem in the world's poorest nations. Lack of clean water, lack of sanitation and a lack of access to either health education or medical care make it hard for new [...]

Fail Harder

July 15, 2011|

At Weiden + Kennedy, creators of Nike's famous Just Do It campaign, they have a wall created from 100,000 clear pushpins pressed into white that spell out the words, “Fail Harder.” Kennedy explains, “They took [...]