“If all people see is anger, they’ll see anger. Do you ever remember a person not likeable winning?” Rahm says, slapping Massa on the chest. “Be likable.” This was the direct quotation inadvertently recorded when Rahm Emmanuel was giving this advice to Congressman Eric Massa. This recorded conversation has had a resurgence of interest and media…

Last month I had the privilege of co-leading the first of several leadership development workshops at Uplift Charter Schools. As a member of the University of Michigan faculty, I have the wonderful opportunity to work alongside Noel Tichy, again. This work is similar to the transformational effort we successfully led with the New York City…

J.D. Salinger, noted reclusive yet renowned author of The Catcher in the Rye, died earlier this month. A client of mine recently called to my attention a quote from Holden Caulfied, Salinger’s famous character in the book. “Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and…

Happy 2010 everyone! I hope your year is off to a great start. Many of you have asked me to recap the most popular posts from 2009 – so my first posting of 2010 is just that: The Top Ten Between The Lines for 2009! If you missed any of these, I hope you will read them…

As Henry David Thoreau so famously stated: “Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill. I think there is nothing, not even crime, more opposed to poetry, to philosophy, ay, to life itself than this incessant business.” A resolution I have made…

Earlier this week I had the fortune of hearing a masterful speaker and inspiring person: John Carpenter Dealey speak on his passion. For those not familiar with John, he is globally known as “Dr. Mastermind” and a renowned thought leader on the creation of mastermind groups based on Andrew Carnagie’s principals. He has a tremendous reputation…

While I was home for the Thanksgiving holiday last week I ran across a book which has been in my family for years: As a Man Thinketh, which was written back in 1902 by James Allen. The title is influenced by a verse in the Bible from the book of Proverbs: “As a man thinketh…

It seems like every time I turn around I am reading a blog, an article, or hearing someone talk about ‘networking’ and ‘making contacts’ to develop your business. Frankly, I have never felt comfortable with the words ‘networking’ or ‘contacts’ – they seem so impersonal. I have developed a passionate view around this topic and…

The recession looms and it has been a source of stress for many. However, I have been pondering – there is a fine line between becoming a victim and blaming everything on the ‘recession’ and realizing that everyone is basically in the same boat and making the most of the situation. I don’t know about…

This article was not my original piece for this first month entry – thus the delay in publication.  I changed my mind midstream; as this article was spawned from several recent experiences of  what I will term ‘shady integrity.’  This blog is written with a lot of heart and soul. Much has been written about…