I recently read a parable called “The Sound of the Forest” from Parables of Leadership by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne, initially published in the Harvard Business Review over three decades ago. Despite its age, its message remains remarkably relevant—perhaps even more so in today’s fast-paced, highly digital workplace, where leaders can become incre…

Read more

When Less Is More: Business Lessons from “Addition by Subtraction”

Earlier this year, I read an excellent article in Metro Magazine titled “Making the Transition from Volume to Value” by Mark R. Aesch. It’s a well-crafted piece that I highly recommend (you’ll find the link at the bottom of this article). In it, Aesch explores how public transportation is…

Read more

Communicating Expectations: A Lesson from a Duct-Taped Sign

I once learned a valuable leadership lesson from something as simple as a paper sign taped haphazardly to a windshield with mismatched duct tape.

In 2005, I joined Coach America in Orlando, Florida, after nearly 15 years at Walt Disney World. Like most leaders starting a new role, I hit the groun…

Read more

Have you ever heard someone say they’ll be “out of pocket”? For most of my life, that phrase meant one thing: I’ll be unavailable for a while. I used it all the time—until last year, when I learned it mi…

Read more