Monthly Archives: June 2015

This is not leadership. It makes people think it is and that’s part of why we have poor leaders, part 1

on June 30, 2015 in Leadership, Models, Relationships, Visualization

“You don’t understand me!” “I wish I’d never been born!” Who hasn’t yelled something like that at their parents? I’m sure I did. I argued with my parents like all kids. I’ve grown since then and don’t argue like that any more. I still disagree, I just try more to seek understanding, not to confront so adversarially. I was just in a line and overheard two workers argue. They weren’t[…] Keep reading →

First empty inbox in at least a year!

on June 29, 2015 in Freedom, Habits

Simplicity, structure, and useful habits keep unimportant things from distracting you and allow you to focus on what you want, which makes life fun and rewarding. They give you mental freedom. When I met David Allen he described how the structure of his processes in his book Getting Things Done create freedom, not just make you more productive. I follow them with my adjustments that I wrote up here, and[…] Keep reading →

Non-judgmental Ethics Sunday: How Do I Counter My Sister’s Abuse Claims Against Our Father?

on June 28, 2015 in Ethicist, Nonjudgment

Continuing my series of alternative responses to the New York Times column, The Ethicists, looking at the consequences of one’s actions instead of imposing values on others, here is my take on today’s post, “How Do I Counter My Sister’s Abuse Claims Against Our Father?” My sister has become a personality in the media primarily due to her colorful past. She gives lectures and has a self-help book coming out[…] Keep reading →

Recycling doesn’t pollute much less than throwing things out compared to not using stuff in the first place

on June 27, 2015 in Nature

People think recycling pollutes a lot less than throwing things out. They don’t seem that different when I compare them both to not using stuff you’d have to throw away anyway. Even reusing something beats recycling. Recycling plants have to send a lot of stuff to landfills. They use plenty of energy. This article, “American recycling is stalling, and the big blue bin is one reason why,” which reminds us[…] Keep reading →

Learn inquiry-driven project-based learning from experienced experts this July!

on June 26, 2015 in Education, Events, Leadership

If you’ve talked to me about teaching in the past year, you know how much the students at Science Leadership Academy have inspired me to teach in the style of that school—that is, what they call inquiry-driven project-based learning. The first student I interacted with when she showed me around the school showed as much leadership skills as many people with MBAs I’ve met. I’ve participated and led talks at[…] Keep reading →

Increasing awareness: Why you get anxious when you’re late

on June 25, 2015 in Awareness

You’re late for something important. You’re annoyed at yourself. Your mind fills with anxiety. You come up with excuses to explain your lateness to the person you don’t want to be late for. Moreover, you can’t do anything about it. The subway seems to wait an eternity at each stop. Or maybe traffic is stalled. Your emotions get intense as a result. Here’s something you probably never noticed before. You[…] Keep reading →

The opposite of passive aggression is active compassion

on June 24, 2015 in Awareness

I don’t like people behaving passive aggressively. I don’t think they realize they’re doing it a lot of the time. Trying not to be something or to do something is harder than being or doing something else. Instead of trying not to be passively aggressive you could try being actively considerate or compassionate. Or if the other person is being passively aggressive you could try suggesting they try being considerate[…] Keep reading →

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