Pain is painful – there’s little doubt. But, there are also lessons about life to be learned in our pain if we’re truly open and willing to listen. Failure is painful. The recent issue of Harvard Business Review is entitled, “The Failure Issue.” Inside you can read former P&G CEO A.G. Lafley say, “I think [...]

Let Limitations Fuel Your Greatness Why is it we are so hesitant to embrace and be transparent about our limitations? Are we fearful of weakness and vulnerability, thinking they will keep us from being successful? Recently, I went to see the just-released movie “The King’s Speech” about King George VI of England. It’s an incredibly [...]

A Tablecloth of Truth He was a young pastor reopening a dilapidated church in Brooklyn just before Christmas. It was December 18 and he had worked hard plastering walls, painting, and repairing pews. He wanted everything ready for that most important Christmas Eve service, their first as a church. On December 19, a driving rainstorm [...]

The navel gazing curse is rampant. A client of mine once worked with a consultant to help them clarify their company’s brand. The consultant interviewed the executive team, middle managers and dozens of employees. The consultant asked about the company’s history, values, and personality. I listened to my client explain the branding project they had [...]

Rats crawl through the rafters. Gunshots echo in the distance. Summer memories from long ago living in Philadelphia’s ghettos. Sirens scream, voices cry. Gangs fight; prostitutes hail. Addicts crave; homeless hunger. Memories triggered by a “Broad Street” sign – my collegiate summer home – causes the past to seep into the present. Then, I came [...]

“Len, I have an idea for a new toilet! Can we meet this week and talk about it?” Two days later, Dennis nearly danced into my office bursting with excited. “This is just the coolest thing,” he exclaimed. “Tell me about it,” I said. For the next hour, Dennis (not his real name) told me [...]

“I have no regrets,” declared the old, frail woman. “If I could live my life all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing!” I was in my 20s when I first heard those words. Now, three decades later, I ponder her words and think, “What a foolish old woman. She should know better.” Yet, I [...]

My wife and I recently went bicycling and she lost her balance when traveling through a narrow, curvy pathway. Her feet stuck in the pedal stirrups and she fell. Her rib cage slammed against a steel handrail and she broke two ribs. She’s now in week four of healing; feeling better. Losing balance can be extremely [...]

My dad died on Father’s Day, just a few weeks ago. It was sudden; though, not unexpected. He was 83; everyday was a gift. He fell at dinnertime, fractured his hip and was taken to the hospital. In the evening he was resting comfortably. By 5 AM, he was dead. The fall was too much [...]