I went out of my car to smell the roses. The sight of those roses and the smell I know I would experience soon were just too tempting to pass by. I don’t remember the exact date and time, but I do remember I was in a hurry going somewhere…

The only way is up. Until it’s not. From the moment we’re born, our eyes are focused upwards unless we’re lying on our belly. Our age goes up. Our length goes up. Our weight goes up. At school, grades our counting upward (in most countries). With our first job, our…

“A fish stinks from the head.” Rumi, a Turkish poet who lived towards the end of the 13th century, wrote “The Third Book of Masnavi,” where the phrase appears as follows: “Fish begins to stink at the head, not the tail.” We often hear this quote in a business environment. …

I love winning, and I hate losing. Big words. Love and hate. As usual, it triggers a memory. In this case of a great song by Michael Kiwanuka that I listen to frequently. Worth taking a short break and listening to the song. Great voice. “You can’t take me down.” Winning, to…

Last week I asked a business partner how he was doing. His answer was, ‘I’m good busy.’ I asked him what that meant. He explained that he was almost always busy, ranging from extremely busy to good busy. Good busy meant that work was not crazy but did not allow much thinking or reflection time. I…

What do you want to be known for? That’s how I ended my previous post, which addressed the legacy of the late Queen of England. I argued that it’s worthwhile to think through how you come across it. The Queen was known for never elaborating on the conversations she was…

The Queen of England has died. I wrote this piece the morning after her death was announced. Seventy years she devoted her life to serving her country. Suddenly I’m reminded of a song by Dire Straits called ‘Walk of Life.’ The tune enters my head. “Dedication. Devotion.” A ninety-six years’ Walk of…

Even in a tough economic climate, smart leaders will continue to do the right thing. — For visionary leaders, one size fits all is over. These leaders understand that people are different, with different needs, different contexts, and different aspirations for the future. You can’t lead these people as if they’re all the same. Last Tuesday, I wrote to you about my regret for not pursuing opportunities to exploit this model.

About my biggest regret — My biggest regret is something I did not do nearly fifteen years ago. I was working in food retail and was part of a group of talents asked to define the organization’s future work strategy. We did brilliant work. I had that feeling then, but now fifteen years later, I’m sure. We were on…