In her 2001 bestseller Seabiscuit, author Laura Hillenbrand introduced readers to an underdog story about the horse who came out of nowhere to become a legend. Seabiscuit, a small horse so broken that owners had considered euthanizing him, stood only 15 hands high. This smallish mud-colored animal with forelegs that didn’t straighten all the way, had an inauspiciousRead more
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In 1968, sociologist Robert Merton used the term “The Matthew Effect” to explain the origins of exceptional people when he formulated the theory of “cumulative advantage.” The term has its foundation in the Christian gospel of Matthew: “For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but fromRead more
In 1990 the most valuable labels were General Motors, Ford, Exxon, and IBM. By 2020, not one of those brands would be among the most valuable. Instead, 30 years later, Apple, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft led the list of most powerful brands by distinguishing their goods, services, and people from the competition. They found waysRead 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
We most often use the term “one hit wonder” to describe music performers who have had a single success. Sometimes these one-hit wonders produced novelty songs such as Jeannie C. Riley’s 1968 number-one hit “Harper Valley PTA.” In spite of the song gracing the charts in the 60s, hardly anyone today would admit to thinkingRead more
