Inspiration for Innovation
Inspiration for Innovation
Years into my career as an executive recruiter and coach, I woke up one morning and had an epiphany: The recruiting system was broken. “Our HR is terrible.” “Our internal recruiters aren’t getting the job done.” “Recruiters aren’t trained to fill so many positions.”
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While being heavily reprimanded by my department head, my internal voice reminded me that I did good work, even if getting in trouble was the result. An organization’s immune system will fight like hell to protect the way it operates, even if that hinders achieving its stated goals or vision. This isn’t the first time… Read more »
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“I can’t take it with me.” This statement was offered to me by an older gentleman as we lounged by the pool in Lahaina, Hawaii. He was not talking about money or material possessions. Rather, he was speaking of time—time with his staff and colleagues, fun time with his friends and neighbors, and meaningful time… Read more »
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I’ve always chosen to do hard things. It started early in life, as it just seemed that doing normal things were often boring. Perhaps it’s part of some suppressed entanglement of childhood and wanting to prove myself, but I do find it interesting that people who felt ignored as children often do amazing feats in… Read more »
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Like many people experienced, 2022 for me was no joke. Although being a leader sometimes means you have to find the humor—no matter how dark, in different situations. I don’t think the year set out to kill me, but I do know it held me by my feet over a cliff and dared me to… Read more »
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You can learn a lot about somebody by watching what they do. But how much time do you spend watching yourself? At the beginning of 2022, I had a big decision to make. I was offered a senior position to help lead our firm into a new chapter. It was an exciting offer with a… Read more »
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It is human nature to envision the future as a modified slice of the recent past. Thus, we expect the contours of the path ahead to look somewhat different but remain largely familiar and therefore comfortable. The last 50years of relative stability have reinforced this myopic and narrow aspect of human expectations, rendering us ill… Read more »
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As I sat here thinking about what to write, something a wise man once said to me came into my mind: “You can’t make progress until you’re brutally honest about where you’re starting from.” That wise man was my previous boss, who then became my dear friend and mentor.
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You might have heard the expression, or even uttered these words yourself. The meaning is simple: low standards, mediocre work, and one shouldn’t have higher expectations. However, when heard by a long-time government manager like me, these words can sting. As someone who is proud ofmy government career, I’ve often witnessed outstanding work from government… Read more »
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