"Over the great doorway of one of New York’s skyscraping office buildings three colossal sculptured figures are posed in crouching attitudes. With their great bowed heads, grimly tense features, and muscles strained like whip- cords they seem to hold on their broad shoulders the terrific weight of twenty or more stories of solid masonry. They …
Tag: leadership
Soft and Supple Will Prevail
My management team and I spent the the entire day yesterday with our Advisory Board. It was a powerful and constructive time and despite the short duration we managed to cover a good deal of useful ground. Many of their observations validated our assumptions, but the most instructive criticisms came, as expected, in areas that …
Five Habits
The powerful recession that swept the globe over the last few years was a game-changer for businesses everywhere. Lulled into a false sense of security by the the many years of plenty, companies operating with bloated payrolls, lavish spending on nonessentials and lax management practices suddenly found themselves confronted with a new reality. Corporate leaders …
Constant Transformation
"When one door closes another door opens, but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us." ~ Alexander Graham Bell A lovely letter accompanied the recent mailing of a catalog I enjoy perusing and I am compelled this morning to …
Out of the mouths of babes
My sons have taken an interest in war recently and I've found it quite interesting to answer their many questions within their present scope of consciousness. Four and five year olds can surprise you with their wisdom, though at the same time they know very little about the world and the many twists and turns …
A Bias for Action
Inertia is as great a force in human development as it is in nature. Defined as the resistance of any physical object to a change in its state of motion, inertia is the reason why the "stuck" things in your life tend to stay stuck while that which is in motion tends to continue moving. …
Levity, Leadership and Longevity
If your actions inspire others to believe in themselves, move beyond their limitations and maintain their integrity where others would sell out, you are a leader. Leaders inspire others to be more and do more, especially in times of unusual uncertainty. Some time ago I wrote about Sir Ernest Shackleton, who led a failed expedition …
A Tribute to John Wooden (1910-2010): A Century of Greatness
Coach John Wooden brought honor, dignity and humility to the profession of coaching in a way that will likely never be matched. His coaching achievements speak for themselves and when Coach Wooden spoke, everybody listened. I thought you would enjoy this link sent to me the other day of one of the hundreds of interviews given …
Continue reading A Tribute to John Wooden (1910-2010): A Century of Greatness
If…
This morning I would like to issue a challenge to you, my readers, one that you are perfectly capable of meeting if you are honest with yourself, honest with your Creator and honest with your fellow man. The nature of this challenge is as simple as it is profound and if you aspire to be …
Leadership Lessons: Sir Ernest Shackleton and The Endurance
One value of recounting the great achievements wrought by our fellows throughout history is that their stories help to put our current worries, fears or concerns into perspective. Did you really let traffic "ruin your day," the wrong item in your take-out order "piss you off" or an unfriendly glare or comment "cause you to blow up?" Try dealing with being stranded in the middle of nowhere for two years, incommunicado and with 27 people you've only just met.
Gregory Hake 