Mindset
How to Succeed in Business without Striking Oil
Oil exec J. Paul Getty once said the secret to success is to “rise early, work late, and strike oil.†I guess that worked out pretty well for him since the Guinness Book of Records named him the
Read MoreWhat’s the Mark of a Great Leader? It’s the Question Mark
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, one of attorney Atticus Finch’s bedrock principles is to “never, never, never on cross-examination ask a witness a question you don’t already know the answer to.†Otherwise, you might get an answer you don’t want, which could wreck your case. That may be a good principle for trial…
Read MorePutting the Social Back in Social Media
Social media isn’t always very sociable. Okay, that may not be breaking news, but I think it’s important to step back and reflect on how social media can bring out the worst in people. That’s even true on LinkedIn, which prides itself on being a place for professionals of all sorts. More than once recently,…
Read MoreTwo Ears and One Mouth: How Some Simple Wisdom Can Improve Your Business
“God gave you two ears and one mouth so you can listen twice as much as you talk.†If you were a talker growing up, I’ll bet your parents or teachers told you something like this at least once. I may or may not have heard it much more than that! Turns out that’s really…
Read MoreHow’s Your Vision?
How’s your vision? I’m guessing it’s not 20/20, because only about a third of us can see that well without glasses or contacts. (I say this as I grab for my glasses.) I’ve been thinking about vision ever since my good friend Anthony J. James appeared on this episode of The Combustion Chronicles. AJ isn’t…
Read MoreHow Self-Compassion Can Help You Finish 2020 Strong
I’m calling on you to give yourself the gift of grace this year—and to extend it into 2021. Stop obsessing over your failures and start reminding yourself of your accomplishments. This isn’t for vanity; it’s for sanity.Â
Read MoreReinventing Our Rituals: Why We Need to Hold On to Our Traditions—But Not Too Tightly
As the year finally—thankfully—comes to a close, I’ve been thinking a lot about all that we’ve experienced in 2020. It took me all the way back to last spring, as the first waves of the coronavirus pandemic began crashing ashore and changed pretty much everything for pretty much all of us. I remember that at that…
Read MoreOvercome by a Challenge? Forget about It and Go Play
Noted improv expert Janna Sobel joined us for a recent Disruptor Studio session to demonstrate how doing improv can help us access new ways of solving problems as we work to blow sh*t up on a daily basis. Janna knows what she’s talking about: she’s a graduate of The Second City’s Conservatory Program, where she’s…
Read MoreGo, Set the World On Fire!
Like most things 2020, the upcoming holiday celebrations will look different than they usually do. But the feelings of gratitude, joy, and inspiration burn brighter than ever. I considered this as we finished recording Season 3 of our new podcast, The Combustion Chronicles, which Man on Fire launched earlier this year, to spark game-changing disruption…
Read MoreIs Your Goal for 2021 Disruptive Enough? It’s Time to Dream Big
To succeed as disruptors, we must envision the impossible for our clients and ourselves, to ask, “How might we?†in bold, creative ways and include the question, “How might I?â€Â
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