A long time ago I worked for a guy who was something of a leadership junkie. Every time he got back from a conference or read a new book, we would brace ourselves for what we referred to as his new flavour-of-the-week management theory.

Inspired by his enthusiasm, we would initially adopt a gung-ho approach to implementing some new thinking or strategy.

Without fail, it would ultimately die a slow death and we would then hold our collective breath waiting for the next great new idea to be sent our way.

Recent times have been tough and while I haven’t lost my mojo, I definitely lost, or at least misplaced, my normal, fairly resilient, Pollyanna-ish self.

Instead, I’ve done more than my share of whining and venting. 
                     
If I were a child, I would be distracting myself with a shiny object or handing over a bottle and telling myself it was time for a nap. 

When my kids used… More Posted on 01-14-24

Seriously, Loud in the Library?

The library in my hometown of Welland, Ontario kicked off the new year with a special event called Loud in the Library.

No kidding. It was a free community event offering live music performances that had participants singing and dancing among the stacks of books! Even better, there was free pizza and snacks.

If I didn’t already love my library, I love it even more now, knowing their leadership is reflecting our changing times.

I was born and raised in a relatively large family of seven. While we never went hungry, there wasn’t… More Posted on 01-13-24

A Roadmap to Happiness & Well-being in 2024

Stay hungry. Stay foolish.

I wish I could take credit for that line as it is a thought-provoking piece of advice. It was actually part of a commencement address delivered by Apple’s Steve Jobs in a Stanford Commencement speech.

I especially like it because of its simplicity. In today’s world of often overwhelming change, information, and events, making the complex simple is something we all could use more of.

So, in the spirit of simplicity, here’s the best advice I’ve got for what you can do to be happy and well in 2024 They’re… More Posted on 01-02-24