2021 is here! I don’t know about you, but I have never felt more ready for a fresh, new year! I am connecting with my family, colleagues, and community to savor this time of reflection and possibilities–to do the satisfying work of imagining who we are going to be this year. And, I would be remiss… Continue reading Prepare to Lead in 2021
Tony Hsieh of Zappos A Stakeholder Leader Tony Hsieh, the former CEO of Zappos and legendary Silicon Valley figure, died tragically on November 26 at just 46 years old. Several news outlets in the last few days have reported on Tony’s reclusive descent into drugs, alcohol, and other dangerous behaviors since leaving Zappos. His… Continue reading Tony Hsieh of Zappos
Google pulled a fast one on us. There are few web services I love(d) more than Google Photos, which enables you to back up unlimited images to the cloud. With Google Photos, there’s no need for clunky hard drives. No worrying when you drop your iPhone in the river—and all of those adorable photos of… Continue reading A Lesson From the Google Photos Fiasco
The numerous physical and emotional benefits of gratitude are well-documented. In particular, researchers like Robert Emmons and Martin Seligman have demonstrated the link between gratitude and happiness. That link makes intuitive sense. As the saying goes, “you are what you pay attention to.“ If you’re focused on and grateful for the blessings in your life,… Continue reading Creating a Culture of Gratitude for Your Stakeholders
As a business owner, one of the most important contracts that ever came my way was the one I didn’t end up signing. On paper, it was a no-brainer. The prospective client was a powerhouse in the beauty care space. It was a lucrative contract with ample room to expand into an even larger engagement.… Continue reading Primal Seeking–the Allure & Danger of “More”
Implementing Stakeholder Capitalism Recently, in the midst of hashing out a particular nuance regarding ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance metrics), my colleague turned to me and said, “We’ve been talking about this stakeholder capitalism thing for a while now. I’ve known about ESG funds for months. But I just realized…I’ve never even taken a look at my… Continue reading Walking the Talk
I once worked with a chief operations officer—we’ll call him Nicolas—who was asked by his CEO to present an update to the board. Nicolas prepared beautiful charts and airtight talking points to walk the directors of this private equity owned company through its day-to-day operations. But, it didn’t go to plan. After the meeting, the… Continue reading How to (Actually) Get Heard by Your Stakeholders
Your shirt is drenched. Beads of sweat trickle down your face. You just took your pet labradoodle for a walk around the block. But with the summer heat climbing into the 90s, you may as well have gone for a stroll on the sun. The moment you cross the threshold of your home, though, you’re… Continue reading THE HIDDEN COSTS ARE KILLING YOU
What the Cynics Get Wrong About Stakeholder Capitalism Just a few months ago, many pegged Airbnb — the vacation rental online marketplace — as the poster child of the stakeholder capitalism movement. Airbnb did more than talk the talk. They walked the walk. CEO Brian Chesky penned an open letter to the Airbnb community in January outlining his vision… Continue reading You Can’t Always Get What You Want–
Oh no, I thought. This is no good. He’s upset. He’s really upset..and openly challenging my boss in front of 90 people! This is going to undermine the whole program—and we’ve barely gotten started! There I was. My first month on the job. My first time observing our leadership development work in-person. (Remember when we used to do things in-person?) The goal… Continue reading MY BOSS IS DRIVING US OFF A CLIFF!
