There are 3 things that change you: travel, the people you meet, and the books you read. A few weeks back, at the Foster School of Business Innovation conference, I heard Doug Plank, a VC, say that. To take in new ideas is to let yourself be changed. And, there’s probably as many techniques as [...]
Tag Archives | Learning
What I Learned from My TEDTalk
I told you a few months ago I would write about what it felt like to do a TEDtalk. I published my perspective earlier this week at my Harvard blog and because I was traveling I couldn’t quite get it to my main site before now. There’s only so much one can do with an [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Upside Down, Shake It Up
About 18 months ago, I was sitting teary-eyed and fatigued with my peer CEO group, explaining that I was going to give up. I felt like such a failure. While there were many good things, a bunch of stuff in my life wasn’t working. As I tried to fix each thing at a time, I [...]
5 Ways to Take Advice
“What do you do?” When I was starting a consulting company called Rubicon back in 1999, my nephew wanted to know what I did for a living. Having just finished running a division of a company where I was responsible for setting and delivering on a specific measurable result, I noticed I was having a [...]
First Days
The walk to school this crisp morning involved little girls dressed in some very stylish ballerina-style sequined skirts, incredibly crisp white shirts with clean new shoes, and a palpable exuberance. Kids who were grunting at each other at the end of last year were hugging with joy at their reunion. But besides those few moments, [...]
The Excuses
When I was getting divorced from my first husband, I spent many months reliving the past. These mental hamster-wheel moments were accompanied by sleepless nights, too much scotch, and – to complete this picture in all it’s transparency—family-size bags of Lays BBQ potato chips. During these long nights, I would try and re-imagine each crucial [...]
Say Something Stupid
There are only two types of people in the world: Learning Beings, and Zealots. Learners are those that recognize that they will find out what they don’t know and they’ll keep modifying their ideas, perspectives, and approaches to adapt to the change around them. Zealots are the opposite. The word Zealot comes from the Greek [...]
Lesson from the Precipice
More than once I have stood at the very edge of a precipice before a grand vista, and each time has given me an unforgettable experience. The Grand Canyon, Yosemite’s Half Dome and the top of the Eiffel Tower can all thrill me like nothing else. Or they can terrify me, setting my knees aquiver, [...]