During the Roman republic, the river Rubicon marked the boundary between the Roman province of Cisalpine Gaul to the north-east and Italy proper to the south. The river distinguished not only the geographic boundaries for the province but also the military restrictions for governors and magistrates. Therefore, rulers required generals to disband their armies beforeRead more
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In virtually every industry, productivity ebbs and flows, depending on myriad factors. When we see these fluctuations, we rightly conclude that they have occurred because of an increase or decrease in employment engagement. We also hear countless suggestions for getting this right-for correcting the ebbs and banking on the flows. Now it’s time to challengeRead more
No one has personified British author Richard Dawkins’ idea that yesterday’s dangerous idea is “today’s orthodoxy and tomorrow’s cliché” better than our 35th President, John Kennedy. When President Kennedy took office in January of 1961, the thought of trying to land a man on the moon terrified most rational people. Yet, the President put aRead more
In 1519 Heran Cortes landed in Mexico with 600 Spaniards and 11 boats. The conquistador and his men had just embarked on a conquest of the Aztec empire, a kingdom that hoarded a cache of the world’s greatest treasures-gold, silver, and precious jewels. Cortex undertook this mission knowing that, for centuries, other conquerors with farRead more
When people talk about the inner contradictions of an organization, they frequently refer to “culture,” that omnipresent word that describes all pleasant and unpleasant by-products of decisions. But they seldom identify the real problem–the decisions that create the traps. Here are ten examples of how that happens: People don’t realize that their decisions create theRead more
