To Nutkick or Not To Nutkick? That is the Question.

I have always believed in being 100% transparent with everyone around me, and to deal with the consequence of that transparency. I once heard a saying "the problem with people who say what they mean is they think everyone else does too." There is a lot of truth in that statement. I know from experience. But in the spirit of staying true to my core belief of speak your mind, I wanted to reach out to you and get help with a dilemma that has just presented itself.

Groupon Axes Mason

As you have heard by now Groupon fired Founder and CEO Andrew Mason last week. I was discussing this with the Founder and CEO of a start-up in San Francisco who is approaching Series A financing and the formation of a Board of Directors to whom he will be reporting to. The question that came up is "What happened to Mason?" 

Your Success Depends On Changing Behavior

A friend of mine recently sent me this quote heard on NPR in an interview with a Venture Capitalist:

"It's a bit like not getting dessert until you've had your vegetables. Maybe this all sounds incredibly simplistic, but venture capitalists say one of the trickiest things about this new world of investing is that their returns, in many cases, hinge on humans changing their behavior. And that's a lot harder than building a robot."

U.S. Competitiveness: What American Business Can and Should Do (In Its Own Interests): Guest Post

I came across this article by Edward Alden, the Bernard L. Schwartz Senior Fellow, specializing in U.S. economic competitiveness and Director of the Renewing America Publication Series. And I think he nails it. The media and politicians have made the topic of U.S. Competitiveness a government issue, as well as a broader civic one. This is incorrect and Alden explains why.

Super Bowl's Lessons From Mrs. Brady

Another year, another Super Bowl. As the planet knows by now, the New York Giants did it again. They beat the New England Patriots again. They had a late 4th Quarter winning drive again. Their team did just enough to beat an opponent that was every bit their equal. Yet post-game media was focused on the losing Quarterback's wife, super model and business star Gisele Bundschen, and her comments after the loss.

The Fallacy of Social Proof

Herd behavior is an epidemic in our society today. Known as large groups conforming to choices which may be either correct or mistaken as a result of social influence, psychology research goes pretty deep into this phenomenon. One definition I read for social proof is people assuming the actions of others to reflect correct behavior for a given situation. This effect is prominent in ambiguous social situations where people are unable to determine the appropriate mode of behavior, and is driven by the assumption that surrounding people possess more knowledge about the situation. Regardless of semantics, social proof is in every part of our world.

New Low For The British

This past week the British government stripped former RBS CEO Fred Goodwin of his knighthood. 

The Need For Quantifiable Objectives

2012 is meant to be the year America makes its economic comeback. Since the economy tanked in 2007-8, we have been conditioned to believe that economic power and superiority has passed to China and our era was over. The US has too much debt, not enough prospect for growth, and we have outsourced our way to becoming an irrelevant economy.

Do The Right Thing

I was traveling through Nicaragua last month for a week and was blown away by everything that country has to offer. The city of Granada is the oldest town in all of Central and South America. Beautiful colonial architecture, very safe and bustling with tourist friendly activity. The Mombacho volcano shadows the town that sits on Lake Nicaragua, one of the largest fresh water lakes in the world. Great food and friendly people, lots of nice hotels and restaurants make for a great long weekend getaway (4-5 day stay is perfect).

Why the Peter Principle Works: Guest Post

There is so much crap on the internet these days I find myself craving something good to read. Magazines and Newsletters are no different. Twitter is a minefield of useless sh*t people say. Its like every idiot with a keyboard is a writer now, or I should say 'blogger'. Trouble is they don't have a heck of a lot to say...at least that that I find of interest.

Where Is The Courage?

The lack of courage in corporate America is frightening. From CEOs and Board Directors to Senior leaders and middle management, the lack of courage to do the right thing and make the hard decisions is a sign that we, as a society, are firmly in decline. Yet I personally see this as an opportunistic environment to step up and take action, speak up and be heard, and, most importantly, to stand tall and lead when so many others fail to do so.

Why Black Is My Favorite Color

Black. Strictly speaking, black isn’t a color at all. It is, in fact, the absence of all color, of light and, indeed, of anything else. Black does not reveal all, but keeps the most important things under wraps. It has an allure epitomised by the legendary ‘little black dress’. Quite simply, it symbolises the power of attraction.

People Matter: What The Turmoil In The Middle East Has Taught Us

This past week I have been asked by numerous friends and colleagues what my thoughts are on the demonstrations in Egypt. The world has been watching as tens of thousands of people hold anti-government rallies across the land of the Pharaohs, and another Mid-East government collapses in a short period of time, and thus far without major human casualties. I am always hesitant to offer my opinion on politics because I don’t believe it adds much value. Politics is a dirty game in case your mother never told you, and I try to steer clear away from it, but what I do love to talk about, and encourage every individual to be aware of, is the important lessons coming out of events like Egypt.

The Key To Gen Y is Gen X

As I sit in the Leaf & Bean in Pittsburgh's Strip District this fine Saturday morning, the NY Jets are arriving at their hotel to challenge the Pittsburgh Steelers in tomorrow's AFC Championship game. Whats interesting about both teams is that arguably the key to their success thus far has been a handful of Generation Y players - young rookies or second or third year veterans who are no older than 23 or 24 years old. However, what makes players like the Jets' Mark Sanchez or the Steeler's Mike Wallace successful is the support, leadership, guidance and experience of the Generation X players around them. In short, for Generation Y to be a success they need Generation X.

Are You A Sailboat Or A Submarine?

Once in a while my eye catches the comments people leave on LinkedIn.com. I love LinkedIn, but I find the majority of the comments people leave to lack value and to be a waste of time. The topics aren't that great either - "How good are you at crisis management?", "One word or phrase to characterize your leadership style?". Silly topics that create inefficiency when 291 people actually take time out from producing to answer these rhetorical questions. Where is the value? However one question from somebody named John caught my eye "Do you believe you can motivate people?"

Once A Fraud, Always A Fraud

Once in a while I am shocked. Shocked by people's actions. Its honestly a rare thing in these times of suicide bombers, rapists, pedophiles and Bernie Madoffs, but nevertheless once in a while I am, as the British put it so eloquently, gob smacked. On Sunday I received an e-mail from an old friend and colleague in Paris who is hiring a sales executive for the German market. One of the candidates under consideration worked for the start-up we both worked at from the late 90s to the mid-2000s. Here is what my friend wrote:

Do You Want To Be Right Or Do You Want To Be Married?

Life is tough. Its tougher when you are stupid. One of the most frustrating things about being an advisor to others is when you watch smart, intelligent, even accomplished people fall into what I call the TEST – temporary emotional stupid trap. It’s human nature I guess, kind of like the killer’s plea for temporary insanity. Emotion takes over and you dig in to fight because you believe you are right and the other party is wrong.

Unreasonable Ambition, Yes, Blind Ambition No.

You often hear people's opinions on what it takes to be a success in this world. You hear advice on habits, best practice, waking up with a '5' on the alarm clock, or just plain old advice from your Grand Pa saying "Son, hard work is what it takes to make something of yourself in this world". Everyone has a view on what the secret to success is, even those who are not successful.

The Importance of Keeping Your Head Empty

This week I had the privilege of attending a private dinner with Elizabeth Gilbert, best selling author of the book Eat, Pray, Love. Now before you say 'huh?' let me just say I haven't read the book or watched the movie, but am aware it is a "chick flick" and that didn't prevent me from attending. You see, I find authors to have interesting perspective on the world and have often found their views helpful to me personally and in my work. I was not disappointed by Ms Gilbert.

Friday Afternoon Musings From Boston

What I love about travel is that it not only gives you time to reflect on your life, but also it enhances your sense of observation. You really see things that normally you wouldn't. Things that perhaps are better unseen. And you appreciate the complexities, challenges and obstacles that life sometimes throws at you. If there is one thing I love about being a nomad its the opportunity to reflect and observe things that you normally wouldn't in your day to day life.