Lead more from the middle. That’s my key takeaway from this year’s Edelman Trust Barometer. People like you and me are nearly twice as trustworthy as a chief executive or government official, according to the research results. How bad is the lack of trust? Less than...

You can’t ignore continuous partial attention. Nor can you fight it. It’s here to stay. In fact, the futurists and the experts say it’s going to get harder to get people’s attention. However, you can take steps to protect yourself and your initiatives from the dangers...

Buy yourself some time to pay attention. Traditionally, the idiom of “buying time” has meant “to postpone an event hoping that the situation will improve.” However, in our time-starved, fast-paced world, we need a new definition to go with a new acceptable action. We...

Please don’t be annoying—even if the advice comes from generally trusted sources. In a recent Wall Street Journal article “How to Be a Better Boss in 2013,” management experts and Wall Street Journal reporters advised that  “being a bit annoying is fine.” Annoying...

What’s your style regarding nonconformity? Do you encourage deviant behavior as a legitimate way to break an impasse or initiate innovation? Or do you cringe when you take or see aberrant action, even if it’s a successful means to an end? Positive deviance—that is,...

The rainy season is in full swing here in Northern California. Thanks to the frequent downpours, we’re experiencing soggy trails, mud puddles and saturated green fields in the woods where I frequently hike with my dog Gustav. The creeks that were almost dried up a few...

“I’m an extravert and I like to talk.” “I’m a lousy secretary.” “I have a knack for talking, not writing.”  My recent colleagues gave these reasons for why they weren’t capturing anything in writing on our project—unless their backs were against the wall. One of them...

Celebrating success is fun! Last year at this time I participated in BJ Fogg’s groundbreaking Tiny Habits program. Today, two of the three habits I adopted are ingrained in my daily routine. The third habit requires the involvement of others, which makes it more...

“Read to learn.” Renowned cultural anthropologist and UC Berkeley Professor of Anthropology Laura Nader advised us to supplement reading with face-to-face interactions in the Q&A portion of her lecture, “Culture and Dignity: Dialogues Between the Middle East and...