I remember the comment as if it were yesterday. As a high school teacher living in Chicago, I had been invited to a school weekend “spirit” event for students and faculty at an area hotel. The facility’s sat on a sprawling property and its layout was unconventional to say the least, which made navigation from one place to another
Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony. Thomas Merton Many of us, particularly busy leaders, struggle to achieve and maintain proper balance in our lives. We seek to succeed in the work arena while simultaneously being there for our families
Last night’s marathon 18 inning affair between the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs, in which my home team (Yankees) completed the sweep of my nostalgic squad (Cubs – I lived on Chi-Town’s North Side for twelve wonderful years) had all of the drama that a baseball aficionado could possibly ask for. The game
Recently, I participated in a Passover hotel retreat with my family in the Catskill Mountain region of New York State. The program organizers worked hard to keep everyone – old and young alike – busy throughout the week with entertainment and activities that offered fun and recreation. One such activity was a game
Getting a promotion to a leadership position is a career breakthrough that many people hope to achieve. To the lucky individual, it is a sign of recognition and appreciation for their actions. However, as the excitement of career advancement sinks in, with it comes fear and
Ask the average person what it takes to be a great leader and you will surely hear a bevy of characteristics and qualities, such as visionary, communicator, motivator, and charismatic. Perhaps you will also hear such idealistic qualities as humble, possessor of strong character, and servant of others. All of these relate to
One of the greatest challenges that confronted me when I assumed the role of head of school was the contrast in personalities between my predecessor and me. In many ways we were polar opposites, including our general affect, how we interacted with others and in the amount of quiet, private time (with the door closed) that we wanted or
A story is told about a reporter who was interviewing a successful bank president. He wanted to know the secret of the man’s success. "Two words,” he was told, “Right decisions.” “And how do you make right decisions?” asked the reporter. The reply: “One
I was recently given the opportunity to address a group of advancement professionals at a national conference in Chicago. These individuals labor in the back offices of large non-profits such as universities and museums, advancing their institutions by developing donors, managing campaigns and the like. My talk focused on why
