In the Chinese military treatise, The Art of War, Sun Tzu writes about military strategy and tactics. Since much of the text is about how to fight wars without having to do battle, it provides a great perspective on leadership and strategy. One of his lesson really hit home this week: [The leader of an [...]
While a blank new document is terrifying, a blank white wall is exhilarating. There is something about a freshly painted white wall that amazes me. It is not loud or overbearing, but is still able to command attention. It creates and opens spaces so the minds inside that space can do the same. It encompasses [...]
Yesterday was Worldwide-Meet-The-Tribe-Of-Linchpins Day according to Seth Godin. Seth fans gathered together at over 790 meetups around the world and talked about his books/blog, shipping ideas, and many other topics of interest. Chris Coldeway, another UBC Sauder alum and creator of redrovr, organized the Vancouver Meetup. My sis got up there and shared a bit [...]
Difficult conversations are those conversations you put off. The ones that tie knots in your stomach. The ones you avoid at all costs. You know the conversations I’m talking about – the ones you know you need to have, but just don’t want to. A few months ago I attended a session by Tekara that [...]
I just got out of one of the worst yoga classes I’ve had in a long time. My butt got seriously kicked on that mat. I always find that a great morning yoga class helps me start my day on a good foot. But if I had a bad class… not good! After unplugging this [...]
The only thing worse than “all talk, no action” is when it’s “all talk, wrong action.” You can’t create that great team by making fun of each team member’s insecurities. You can’t find that enriching and loving relationship by having a series of one night stands. You can’t save for that trip by buying a [...]
This past weekend, I had two brief, yet memorable, conversations with a couple brand-ividuals. Scenario 1: Brunch at Twisted Fork Bistro following the Vancouver Sun Run After we had our first few bites of our delicious banana stuffed french toast, Bridie, our server, walks up to us with a huge smile and asks “So, are [...]
Best practices are believed to be the most effective way of deriving a particular outcome. But they’re not. Best practices only derive that particular outcome in a certain circumstance or condition. Which may not be ours. Learning about a best practice does not mean we have to follow it. There are no rules or laws [...]
Trial and error wasn’t as scary back then. We could make mistakes and not care. We focused on doing, more than just talking about what to do. We had more support, and lower stakes. We weren’t afraid to fail. This may explain why Kindergarten-ers are more successful in team exercises than those enrolled in Business [...]
What if you had no followers on Twitter or friends on Facebook? What if no one read your blog? What if no one subscribed to your mailing list? What if no one listened to your music, used your service, came to your event, or bought what you were selling? Would you still be doing what [...]
