Basic Tenets of Stoicism: Wisdom Courage Temperance Justice In recent months, as the ever-changing shift of economic leadership, global crisis and political positioning both here in the U.S. and abroad, I notice a shift in conversation. More articles have appeared recently, around ancient philosophy. In leadership, whether business or politics,  religion, or in the immediate family; philosophy, has always been at the core,whether we are aware or not. My favorite go to research site is the Stanford University, Plato site: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/stoicism   often looking for further knowledge, on Paine, Kant, Epicurus, Descartes, Horace, Rousseau, and JS Mill. Ove...

The 8. and 9. September there was an election in Norway. For the political parties election equals exams. A four year term and intensive campaigns determine the winners and the losers. The leader of the parties who form government are victorious and their status as party leader will never be safer. For the parties that must end their term in government the future looks very different. Somewhere wrong decisions were taken, the party suffers and someone must pay.   In large democratic countries the leader of any political party that does poorly in an election has to step down as leader. It works in the same way as a large company. Insecurity leads to falling stock prizes and change in le...

Defining a network...Relationships are all there is.  Everything in the universe only exists because it is in a relationship to everything else. Nothing exists in isolation. We have to stop pretending we are individuals that can go it alone.- Margaret WheatleyI recently found myself coming back to the above quote by Ms. Wheatley after being put through the paces of a recent consulting deal.  I first came across this quote in one of the leading books on mentoring and career development, Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi.In the current economic down turn and more importantly job market, I'm finding many of these basic principals have gone into the proverbial wastebasket.  But this current ever...

As discussed by Harvard Business School Professor Bill George in a video provided by Stanford Graduate School of Business, "This is a classic Machiavellian question." His opinion certainly deserves to be listened to; watch this short video below!...

Where does creativity come from?  It’s an important question any leader should ask---often.  Whether in the private sector, the public sector, the education industry, or literally anywhere else.  How can we stimulate an environment where new ideas blossom? After thinking about this for a long time, as a manager and teacher, I’ve come to the conclusion that deeply ingrained misconceptions and societal blocks stunt creativity.  Taboos, you may call them. One of my favorite parts of my business master’s classes is “the farm experience.”  This entails classmates finding a partner and making the sound of farm animals --- pigs, cows, chickens --- as loud as they can...