It must be one of the most profitable innovations ever: to remove the nutritional part of foods and selling the mostly sugar that remains. Fruit juice, table sugar, white flour, corn syrup, agave nectar, and so on. What’s left tastes sweeter. It lasts longer on the shelf because it lacks nutrition for the life forms that would decompose it. It motivates people to consume more of it. Without fiber, it[…] Keep reading →

If you don’t act for equality, it doesn’t matter how much you want it, you aren’t going to get it. Almost nobody is acting for equality so we aren’t getting it. Many people think they are acting to create equality, but their behavior is counterproductive to equality, despite their intent. Why do I say people aren’t acting for equality? What are people doing if they aren’t acting for equality? Many[…] Keep reading →

I’ve been meaning to write about a book that challenged and led to me changing beliefs more than any other I can think of. I write about beliefs and mental models here a lot. My leadership seminars and courses cover beliefs, how they influence your perceptions, and how to change them. Some beliefs you change a lot, or at least you feel flexible about. Some beliefs you believe and you[…] Keep reading →

If you like learning, you like learning effectively, which our mainstream educational institutions could improve in. I’m constantly learning and experimenting to improve my teaching. I think I’m getting a lot better at it. A tremendous resource and inspiration is my long time friend and founding Principal of the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, Chris Lehmann. I normally don’t post TED talks, much less TEDx talks (I find they make[…] Keep reading →

If you read my blog you know that SIDCHA stands for self-imposed daily challenging healthy activity. I created the concept and write about it a lot. Considering its opposite helps illustrate their value and probably also reveals some problems in your life. The opposite of self-imposed is something others get you to do. The opposite of daily is irregularly. The opposite of challenging is easy. The opposite of healthy is[…] Keep reading →

Want to learn and practice one of the most effective leadership techniques? Then join me for a workshop, Tuesday, December 1st at 6:30pm in midtown, and get a copy of the #1 bestselling leadership book included! This is an encore workshop from attendee enthusiasm at the last one. From the announcement from the Columbia Business School Alumni Club (everyone is welcome): The Workshop Committee of the Columbia Business School Alumni[…] Keep reading →

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, “Should I Tell My Friend’s Husband That She’s Having an Affair?” I am a man (if it matters) and friends with a married woman, ‘‘Jane,’’ and her husband, ‘‘Peter.’’ The friendship is more with Jane than[…] Keep reading →

I simplify complex or mysterious terms to make them easy to understand and act on. The professional and personal development fields seem to prefer click-bait titles—what sells over what works. Talk about failure and success is filled with clichés (“It’s the journey, not the destination,” “everything happens for a reason”) and grandstanding (“fail early and often,” “I failed many times before succeeding”) that I haven’t found helpful for someone facing[…] Keep reading →

An attendee at my Harvard talk wrote me about his starting a couple Sidchas. I asked him if I could share his experience because it illustrates how we grow when we challenge ourselves. Making a challenging daily habit stick not easy, but I find that knowing that others face the same obstacles and that overcoming them is just as hard for everyone else makes it easier. You’ll also see that[…] Keep reading →