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.

Playing B-Ball with Obama: 6 Steps to Crossing Anything Off Your Bucket List: Guest Post

This is one of the most inspiring posts I have read in a long time via Tim Ferris' blog. In 2009 a junior at Cornell contacted me to ask about his idea for a non-profit, based on helping people achieve their dreams. Fast forward to today, Everest is no longer a non-profit pipe dream, but a Silicon Valley start-up with a lot of determined people pushing to create a way to help people live their dreams. Check them out and follow them on Facebook or Twitter.

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.

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.

The Russian Fat Loss Secret: Guest Post

A couple of months ago I met Jose on a trip to Honduras and we are now good friends. Jose is General Manager of a well-known hotel chain in Atlanta and, like me, he loves to travel and see all the world has to offer. As we smoked cigars and enjoyed the beautiful country of Honduras, Jose shared his biggest fear with me. Approaching 50 years of age, Jose is 50lbs over weight and struggles with his energy levels. Like many over weight people, what frustrated Jose most was the lack of understanding why, after years of being in decent shape, his body was now giving way to love handles, a gut and a feeling of labor just to get up in the morning.

The Most Interesting Interview In The World: Guest Post

I spent a wonderful weekend in Washington DC. You can say what you want about the type of creatures that lurk in those waters (politicians, lobbyists, special interests, POTUS...) but that city is first class. From the hip cafes of Capital Hill to the cobble stones of Georgetown, Washington DC is a romantic city calling for the kind of attention reserved only for a special someone.

From Capitalism Comes Charity

Last night I was reminded again of the power of capitalism. The word conjures up different emotions to different people, but to me capitalism has always been a social system based on the recognition of individual rights. Its that simple, don't complicate it with your many interpretations, opinions and intellectual derivatives. And the individual is what I personally believe to be the most powerful and important entity above any group or system of belief. Including religion. The individual is what makes human beings so wonderful, not groups.

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?"

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.

Are You Sure You Want To Follow Today’s Executives?: Guest Post

Anyone who has tried to sell anything to corporations, and specifically the decision makers inside corporations, will appreciate the fallacy of proof. I remember some years back when I was working on a strategic project with a client in the UK who was looking at outsourcing a part of their operations worldwide. In a meeting with the COO of the company it was clear that leadership wanted to do this because of the perceived value, but implementation was going to be the biggest challenge to making it happen. To ensure success we embarked on a lengthy crusade to 'sell' the concept inside the company and win over the key stakeholders who would be impacted by this change.

Change The World NOW!

I wanted to share with you an incredible vision statement from a start-up I am privileged to sit on the Board of. At this time I am not able to name the company or the founders of this incredible venture, but you will hear about them in the near future, both on this site and around the world. But the words in their business plan blew me away. And they reminded me of the essence of this blog - the power of the individual and the different each of us - YOU - can make in this short life.

Balancing It All: Guest Post

Some of the best people I have worked with were women. In fact, of the top five people I have had work for me, 2 of them were female. If I think of the top ten colleagues I have had under me then 5 of the 10 were women. Most were wives and mothers, balancing life at home as well as at work. Yet they performed at the highest levels for me, outperforming their male colleagues in an apples to apples comparison. And let me be clear, my management style is all about accountability so I don't see a difference between male and female team members, old and young or experienced and inexperienced. You are either in the role or not.

A Little Old School for LinkedIn Users

When I graduated business school and entered the workforce for the first time I was fortunate to have chosen an opportunity that got me the coaching and mentorship every young professional needs. My boss, mentor and today friend, Dan, taught me a lot of things, from effective business writing to how to order in a  French restaurant to his incredible thought process. But the number one lesson he drilled into me echoed what my father always taught us growing up: your credibility is everything.

The Missing Element Of Success: Taking Care of Your Body

The past few weeks I have been putting together the contents for a blog on the importance of personal training and why its imperative for leaders, managers, professionals and individuals young and old to focus on their physical, nutritional and mental health. The basic message is you must incorporate taking care of your body into your day-to-day life. If you want to be successful at your profession and with your family then you have to workout and eat the right foods. However as life happens I wanted to share an experience from this evening that in my view reinforces the absolute need for all of us to exercise, build strength and eat the right foods.