Most humans hate ambiguity, and as Nat King Cole once said, “That’s a natural fact.” While most would choose to avoid uncertainty, a select few embrace it. The problem occurs when those who don’t welcome ambiguity lack the information that they need to understand what’s going on-especially during times of rapid change. The absence ofRead more
On April 9, 2019, America lost another hero, Lt. Col. Richard Cole, the last of the eighty Doolittle Raiders. He was 103. At the age of twenty-six, Richard Cole did not set out to become a hero, but he did. In 1942 the very notion of an attempt by America–which was ill-prepared for any sortRead more
In response to a question about his strategy for an upcoming fight, former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson responded, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Tyson got the first part of this wrong: most individuals and organizations don’t have a plan. But he’s right about the second part: even those whoRead more
Scott, a leader in a large construction company, recently expressed his frustration that too many people in his chain of command didn’t think things through. He said he’d been tempted to point out, “You don’t get paid from the neck down!” I asked Scott if he was sure about that. Too often, leaders think theyRead more
We remember Ben Franklin as a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, freemason, postmaster, scientist, inventor, humorist, civic activist, statesman, diplomat, and founding father of our country. Too often we forget, however, that he was also an executive coach–especially for himself. And we probably wouldn’t automatically consider him a source of advice for setting NewRead more
