I’m a big fan of books in a category that might be best called Social Psychology. I am a fan of all three of Adam Grant’s books. His most recent book, last year’s Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know, is full of valuable takeaways. I learned…
I was fortunate to hear John Harmon speak last year. Harmon, the Founder, President, and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey, was speaking as part of Berkeley College’s Larry L. Luing School of Business Leadership Lecture Series. Harmon’s topic was positive outcomes from diversity, equity, and…
Empathy is “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another,” or as it is often said, the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. From an article on the Masters of Communcation web site: In simple terms, empathy is the ability to understand things from another person's…
Last year, I was participating in a Zoom networking event with about 50 people. When the event started slowly, the moderator, as an ice breaker, asked people to tell about their first job. There were an assortment of answers, including one gentleman who told of his childhood job as a…
The war in Ukraine is upsetting to everyone who is paying attention to it. As with other humanitarian disasters, there are calls for donations. I made a donation to an organization I know that helps Ukrainians, having donated to them in the past when a dear friend began volunteering for them.…
About 20 years ago, I read one of my all-time favorite books, The Children, by David Halberstam, about a group of young people, including the late Congressman John Lewis, who put themselves in harm’s way to advance the civil rights movement of the early 1960s. In that book, I read…
Ten year ago, I published my book, Six Simple Rules for a Better Life. It’s been an eventful decade for me in many ways, and the book has been a very nice part of it. While the book didn’t become a bestseller (and I didn’t expect it would), it sold…
I have extremely strong feelings regarding customer service responsiveness. Whether I am providing service or receiving it, whether in my personal life or my professional life, my standards are very high. Last fall, a client complained about one of my colleagues not responding to an email. When I spoke with…
One lesson that’s been reinforced for me during the pandemic is that new experiences come with fear, uncertainty, and discomfort. The first time I went to the supermarket was unnerving. The second time was a bit easier. The third time easier still. I got into a routine, and while the…
The Wall Street Journal published a really good piece explaining why being kind helps you, too. As the piece explains, “research links kindness to a wealth of physical and emotional benefits – and it’s an excellent coping skill for the COVID-19 era.” You may not be able to read the…
I recently stumbled across two posts I wrote in 2014 about parenting. I enjoyed reading those posts, which had been inspired by my eldest child’s graduation from college, and I am republishing some of that content today. Parents need to be leaders: it's leadership by example. Parents also need to…
I’ve shared parenting suggestions here a few times. Leo Babauta, who writes on his site Zen Habits, is one of my long-time, favorite, personal development writers. Last year, he posted about some of the life lessons he has taught his (now mostly adult) kids—lessons they shared back with him on…