Ever since the presidential election of 2008, I’ve been getting progressively mad about something. I got enthralled with an administration that wanted to connect with people in the social era to create change. Perhaps unrealistically, I had this hope it would carry beyond the election cycle. I knew it wouldn’t be easy but I thought [...]
Are You Experiencing Bliss?
Today, I mark my 44th birthday. People often wish people happiness or joy on birthdays. For some reason, I am not a fan of these sentiments. They seem sappy and fleeting. It’s the reason why I never make my birthday visible on Facebook. Saying Happy Birthday in some meaningless post once a year does not [...]
Go Where No One Else Is
Thedailybeast Wed, Jan 11 2012 20:47:57 Whitney Johnson, a partner at Clayton Christensen’s investment firm wrote a powerful piece in 2011 uniquely captured why pursuing a disruptive course is the best investment you can make. “ Throw out the performance metrics you’ve always relied on “A disruptive innovation must measure different attributes of performance than [...]
The Secret to Being Really, Really Smart
Surprised I was when I opened the Christmas present that held a Canon T3 Digital Camera. After the tornado that is Christmas was over with the ribbons saved and mounds of wrapping paper recycled, I sat down with the manual only to find myself regretting getting this present. How could that initial squeal of delight [...]
Fearless Cultures Embrace Disruption
“ From classrooms arranged in rows of seats to tenured professors, from the assembly line to the way we promote executives, we have been trained to expect an orderly life. Yet the expectation that these systems provide safety and stability is a trap. This Is Generation Flux: Meet The Pio… Mon, Jan 09 2012 06:08:15 [...]
2 Ways to Skirt Self-Handicapping
So, why don’t we choose stand out? (Part II of a series on being distinct) If you’ve built a business, you want to have a unique competitive advantage that others can’t copy easily. For any individual, you want to be clear what ideas you are fighting for…or perhaps discovered your superpower. Distinction being the thing [...]
No Pause, No Processing
Everything important happens in the pause. Understand that the pause is the between space where an idea is shared, and that idea is understood. I just finished doing 6 weeks of speaking – my first-ever “high season” of doing a bunch of paid keynote speeches back-to-back. At these many venues, I watched the other speakers: [...]
Are You Standing Out Today?
People buy two categories of things. The distinct. And the generic. The distinct items are the things that have a limited commodity, that are artisan in nature, that are worth paying a premium for. They stand out for some reason. The generic items are, well, the things you find on Amazon. If I start to [...]
No. Thank You.
Remember when I shared the reasons why I write, in a post entitled “why am I doing this?”. Through that exchange, you – the active participants – helped to crisp and name the direction of the blog. This gave it form, a tent pole of sorts to shape the work within. This was an incredible [...]
What Ideas Are You Fighting For?
Leadership always operates at two levels. There is the immediate and perhaps even pragmatic stuff of leadership – who is in charge, what responsibilities do they own, what defines the shape of their arena. We spend a lot of time paying attention to this stuff, in all domains – work, economies, and especially now during [...]
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Sparks. Right there for the taking. Do it.
About Nilofer…
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And, Who Are You?
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What’s Your ScoreBoard?
- Rogues, Misfits Or Heroines?
- Is TED Elite?
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Why. I. Am. Doing. This.
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What Barack Obama Could Learn from Vivek Wadhwa
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Are You Experiencing Bliss?
- Go Where No One Else Is
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The Secret to Being Really, Really Smart
- Fearless Cultures Embrace Disruption
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Charlie: On birthdays I tend to look back over the previous...
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Gaurav Kapil: I'm not very sure that what you are saying is pos...
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Bonnie Koenig: I did not at all mean to imply that you were not k...
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Rishav: "Too bad Obama doesn’t get this. But you can."...
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Nilofer Merchant: How is that restlessness paying out... am curious....
Author of “The New How”
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