Somebody once told me that if you knew the secret to how magicians do their tricks, you would never watch magic again. It’s that boring. For instance, when a girl turns into a tiger, it’s just a simple switch with a trap door. See? Boring. The same is true with goaltending in the National Hockey […]
Two teams work in the same office. You are allowed to spend as much time as you want observing them. Then you must choose: Which one will be more successful? That question more and more is drawing the attention of businesses. In this Harvard Business Review article, researcher Sandy Pentland concludes that patterns of communication […]
Today I heard a woman say with some pride that she “can do 12 things at once.” She also said, with not as much pride, that her daughter can only do one thing at a time. Only? By being able to do “only” one thing at a time, her daughter owns the key to success. […]
Scottish poet George McDonald said, “To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved.” This comes to mind because of a Geoffrey James article in Inc. titled “8 Things Great Bosses Demand from Employees.” Top on the list is “Be True to Your Word.” Writes James, “Your boss wants to trust you. Really. Therefore, […]
Comfort is the enemy of growth. Navy SEALS know that, and they’re teaching it to U.S. Olympians. “We’re going to re-set your baseline today,” a SEAL tells a group of athletes as they embark on a grueling session to test and expand their limits. Olympians and SEALS are just like the rest of us. They […]
Life is a series of problem-solving events. And the way you approach these problems will determine how successful you are in solving them. As a wise person once observed, “The problem isn’t the problem. The way you handle the problem is the problem.” For a look at how great problem-solvers approach their work, here’s an […]
Your focus is your future. Correct focus can help you perform at your peak, beat the odds and win the big one. The good news is that you have a great ability to focus. If you don’t believe me, think abut the last time you watched a great TV show. You were really locked in. The […]
Years ago, as my wife and I were driving through the Southern California desert on a cross-country trip, we saw a sign that gave us chills despite the 100-plus temperatures. “Do not leave this road unless you know exactly where you are going,” it read. You didn’t need to be a genius to figure out […]
An old sports writer friend once told a story about Moe Berg, a one-of-a-kind ballplayer who read 10 newspapers a day and happened to be an atomic spy for the United States. Berg was a mediocre batter, but he did speak seven languages, prompting Dave Harris, an outfielder for the Washington Senators, to say, “Yeah, […]
No matter who you pick in the upcoming NCAA tournaments, you can be sure of one thing: The winner will have to overcome adversity. Injuries, bad calls and momentum swings will test the will of all teams, and the one that responds best will win. It will take mental toughness to survive, which raises a […]