Wandering Into Wisdom

This blog chronicles the knowledge, insight and wisdom I encounter every day as a leadership consultant, executive coach, educator, father, friend and citizen. This site is dedicated to my father, Louis (Jack) Laughlin, who passed on to me an appreciation for wisdom. A special thanks to my friend Isaac Cheifetz, a businessman and journalist, who helped me understand the value of blogs and encouraged me to write one.

Team Building

I was recently asked to facilitate a meeting for a leadership team who has gone through significant organizational changes. We didn’t do team building games or exercises even though some team members were new. Instead, we had a dialog and discussion to list the organizational decisions they need to make and lay out a process to make those decisions. We also determined specific assignments and due dates for each step. Everyone walked away energized and ready to get to work because they were now clear on what they needed to do. At the end of the day, the best way to build a team is to accomplish something meaningful…together.

Memories

The human brain has an amazing capability to remember things but not always in the most useful way. Some years ago a grease fire started in a pan on the stove and I remembered that a white powder, baking soda, would put it out. Unfortunately my memory of white powder translated into flour which exploded when I threw it into the burning pan.

Laughing or Crying

"Life is a comedy for those who think
... and a tragedy for those who feel."
Horace Walpole

Truth and Fiction

"Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't."
Mark Twain

The Face of God

We should gaze upon the face of God on a regular basis
…to remind us it is not our reflection.