LATEST BLOG POSTS

At last I spoke to someone with a systems perspective! I enjoyed the conversation with a fellow academic who cares beyond the classroom. Michael spoke about how many areas we could work in, not to say it’s too much but that you can find a place to contribute. Many people wish there was a silver bullet. As far as I know there isn’t one. His about-to-launch book, Can Business Save[…] Keep reading →

My series answering the New York Times’ Ethicist column with an active, leadership approach instead of an analytical, philosophical perspective continues with “Can I Make My Company Take a Stand on Guns?”. I live in Europe and work for a company based in the United States. I’m increasingly uncomfortable with the rate of gun violence and mass shootings in the United States, and I would like my company to take[…] Keep reading →

I responded to the question, Hi all, Nearly an year ago, I faced a life-shattering crisis that completely wrecked my world view. Since then I have rebuilt up from scratch, and I have found that a lot of the things that I used to believe were false. Books such as Man’s Search for Meaning have been very pivotal in that regard. What books could you recommend for the same? with[…] Keep reading →

Why do people who haven’t tried it call not flying impossible, yet it was just as challenging for me and I find it one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Being in a system without realizing it makes it easy to confuse that system’s values with your own or with absolute reality. What looks impossible is just impossible within that system. To change, it’s easier to exit the[…] Keep reading →

For those who don’t know, I do my kettle bell workout every fourth day, starting with the 2nd of the month, then the 6th, 10th, and so on of each month. Today is the 17th, so tomorrow I do it. (Incidentally, on alternate even-numbered days—the 4th, 8th, 12th, etc—I row indoors or run, depending on the weather). What does lifting have to do with getting on my knees? I don’t[…] Keep reading →

I wrote, to follow Ryan Holiday’s Here’s The Technique That Ambitious People Use To Get What They Want, I teach and coach people to get jobs through performance and it works. Schools teach people to react, take tests, and show how great they are. For a posted opening, you’re presenting yourself as a commodity — a slightly shinier one, you hope. It’s based on compliance. Most analytical, geeky types got[…] Keep reading →

Anisa is another counterexample to believing that working on the environment distracts from getting ahead. She rose to become the director of the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council despite being early in her career. Though she was doing fine in architecture, she responded to the call for help people and communities in New Orleans after hurricanes Rita and Katrina. Doing what people cared about helped[…] Keep reading →