Between the Lines

This Between the Lines article is being written primarily at the request of my readers. Many have mentioned to me the increasing prevalence of improper, inappropriate, and often just downright rude behaviors. This may be somewhat similar to an entry made back in 2009 entitled That’s So Rude. Unfortunately, it appears the trend is ‘up’ for [...]

“Going where no man (or woman) has gone before” has become a modern day cliche representing adventure, bravery, and futuristic thinking. OK, I’ll admit, I have always loved Star Trek - both the William Shatner version and the modern version. I am not an obsessed ‘trekkie,’ yet I love the chemistry of the leadership team on [...]

I have written many articles and short blogs on the topic of integrity over the years. Integrity almost always shows up on the list of corporate and organizational values; and yet, what I have learned over the past few years in working with executives, boards, and leadership teams around the country, is that the definition [...]

Recently I picked up Dale Carnegie’s classic, “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” and became reintroduced to the incredible wisdom in this book. I wanted to share the highlights of one chapter which I thought was relevant particularly to a few clients with whom I am working. The chapter is entitled: “How to Make People [...]

Happy 2011 everyone! I hope your year is off to a great start. Many of you have asked me to recap the most popular posts from 2010 – so my first posting of 2010 is just that: The Top Ten Between The Lines for 2010! The best advice I ever got Do I have to be liked [...]

A few years ago, I read a wonderful article in Fortune magazine that was nothing more than a collection of wise advice from notable individuals. This article stayed with me. So I thought I would offer a blog that is a brief collection of advice ranging from famous leaders (a few paraphrased from this article) [...]

As we come back from this July 4th holiday weekend, I ran across stories of five Congressional Medal of Honor recipients which touched me to the core. These men are basically ordinary individuals who performed extraordinary acts. They went back again and again into enemy territories to protect their regiments, taking fire and shrapnel for hours [...]

“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 [...]