Have you ever sat through a meeting that felt frustratingly circular? People rehash the same points, get lost arguing emotions instead of facts, or fail to generate any fresh ideas. Meanwhile, the clock ticks and you leave without making a decision. Edward de Bono felt your pain. That’s why the lateral thinking legend invented the … Read more
Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner and the Genius of Reverse Engineering When Boeing set out to design the 787 Dreamliner in the early 2000s, they wanted to create an airplane that would provide exceptional passenger comfort and long-range capability at greater fuel efficiency than any previous wide-body aircraft. Essentially, they asked – what would the ideal next-generation … Read more
When Indra Nooyi returned to her native India in 2007, newly appointed as PepsiCo’s CEO, she noticed something deeply moving. At every turn, people congratulated not Indra herself but her mother, recognizing her role in nurturing Indra’s journey to success. This awakened something in Indra. She realized that behind every leader, there are often unseen … Read more
The first and most important choice a leader makes is the choice to serve, without which one’s capacity to lead is severely limited. – Robert Greenleaf In 1970, Robert Greenleaf, a former AT&T executive and researcher, developed the theory of servant leadership, a radical perspective on leadership that teaches that the best leaders are those … Read more
You’ve conceived a brilliant idea. It’s amazing. A game changer. You can’t wait to share it with the world. You quit your job. Borrow money from grandma and pull out the last penny from your kid’s piggy bank. You’re convinced it’s going to work. Hold your horses … you missed a step. The Common Trap … Read more
You’re at a concert. The curtain rises. The maestro bows and takes his place. As he opens the folder that holds his sheet music, you can tell he’s starting to panic. The folder is empty…. He lifts his baton, and the orchestra starts to play. For a minute or two, it sounds fine. And then… … Read more
If you expect your journey as a business person to be a pleasant mountain hike — think again. For most entrepreneurs starting out, the business journey is more like a jungle expedition…on foot. Sometimes you’re crawling, sometimes you’re sprinting, and you never know what’s lurking in the bushes. Because the unexpected can happen so, well, … Read more
You’ve known for weeks this isn’t working out. But you can’t bring yourself to cut the cord. After all, you’ve invested so much into this. You had dreams. And the thought of starting over scares the crap out of you. It’s called the “Sunk Cost Fallacy.” The “Sunk Cost Fallacy” is a cognitive pattern that … Read more
In the annals of history, September 11, 2001, stands as a day of immense tragedy. The attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon shook our world and our sense of security. Yet, amid the devastation, stories of resilience and hope emerged. Today, as we face our own challenges, we can draw valuable lessons … Read more
“Sometimes, just knowing that you’re the one that smiles easy makes it easier to smile.” Joy: That profound, contagious emotion, has the power to transform workplaces into thriving hubs of creativity, innovation, and productivity. It’s not merely a “nice-to-have” but a business imperative that every leader should prioritize. Here’s why happiness matters in the workplace, … Read more