Reconcilable Differences

Lincoln chose strong individuals for his cabinet regardless of their opposition to him and each other. He balanced opposing elements so they not only held together but functioned effectively despite, and possibly because of, their differences. This was his true genius.

Crazy

The first sign that you’re losing your mind is that everyone else seems to have lost theirs.

Words to Live By

“Have a heart that never hardens, a temper that never tries and a touch that never hurts.”
Charles Dickens

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.