It was just a call

I’ve banked with the same institution for decades. Not because they’re remarkable. They’re not. Global, established, perfectly functional, and about as inspiring as watching paint dry. I stayed because it was easier than leaving. Convenience...

Stalking birds

Every morning, on walks, my dog stalks birds. She gets close. Never catches one. But here’s the thing, she never stops believing she will. What if she stopped believing? Would she be motivated and excited every day? Belief, even unrewarded, is what keeps us...

Ringing the bell

I was working with a logistics company a while back. Solid team. Decent margins. Good people who showed up and did the work. But there was something flat about the place. Functional. Just not alive. I asked the operations manager when they last celebrated something....

Seven secondhand sins

You can find a great deal at the vintage market. That is not what this is about. There is a category of secondhand that looks like wisdom, feels like strategy, and passes for leadership. It is none of those things. It is borrowed. And borrowed, in business, is rarely...

What the phone reveals

We tell ourselves we are measured, rational, composed. Then we pick up our phones. On a train recently, watching a stranger scroll, something became clear. Within minutes, her face moved through joy, concern, hurt, and quiet approval. She didn’t notice. No one...