"To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue; these five are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness." - Confucius Confucius, who presented himself as a "transmitter who invented nothing," left an indelible mark in the mind of man some 2,500 years ago. His teachings were compiled by his disciples after his death into a …
Tag: gregg hake
Bring on the Learning Revolution!
We live in an era of momentous change. The industrial revolution feathered out and the information revolution feathered in over the course of the last century and the world is a different place. The digital revolution is transforming every aspect of our lives and economic activity is becoming more and more virtual. This massive shift …
What is Progress? Insights from Gregg Hake
What is progress? I had to laugh when I read Norwegian ethnologist Thor Heyerdahl's clever definition of progress. He said that "Progress is man's ability to complicate simplicity." Despite our supposed progress as a species, human beings have a knack for making life more complicated, more challenging and harder to enjoy. Most would agree that contentment comes …
Self-Determination Theory: Creating Long-Lasting Change
A long-standing central desire of mine is to help my fellows live healthier, happier lives. I do my best to center my words, my work and my living on the theme of life enhancement, yet I am often surprised by how rarely people tend to act on what they know they need to do to live healthier, more balanced lives. A circuit breaker …
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Never Stop the Line: How One Bolt Changed My Attitude
The story of the New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI) plant, a joint venture between General Motors and Toyota Motor Company that began in 1984 and ended this past March, offers powerful lessons for American corporate and political leaders. As part of the joint venture, Toyota showed GM the secrets of its production system, one …
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Chew on this!
Like so many things in life, proverbs, considered one at a time, are appealing and have a generally accepted meaning. Consider them in the context of other proverbs, though, and you'll find many contradictions that may cause you to think a little harder about the sayings. What do they really mean? Are you drawing the right …
Real Friends and Unconditional Love
"If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together...there is something you must always remember. you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. but the most important thing is, even if we're apart.. I'll always be with you." - Winnie the Pooh Pooh's kind words are the words …
“Daddy, what was war?”
My eldest son, who just turned five, loves to ask me questions on the way to school every morning. "Excuse me Daddy, what types of storms are there?" "Daddy, what is the difference between asphalt and concrete?" "Why does it look like the moon is following us, Daddy?" The questions come daily, and I am thrilled to help provide …
Hard work? Bring it on!
Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all. -Sam Ewing I had the good pleasure of spending time with a number of successful business people while travelling this week. I hesitate to call them "hard workers" as each one had …
The Third Approach: Baby Steps
As a businessman interested in making a positive difference in the world, I am often faced with the challenge of finding the way to make change digestible. One way to present the necessity for change is by appealing to logic and reason. Another way is to make an emotional appeal, calling on the heart of …
Gregory Hake 