Fun fact about me: I have been able to predict, with 90-percent accuracy, which Indigo Girls songs were written by Emily Saliers vs. Amy Ray. This one is definitely Emily.
Wrestle to grow
Ripe Fruit The story goes that one of Plato’s students invited him to come teach Dionysios, king of Syracuse. Dionysios was a decadent king, and the student hoped Plato could help the king learn to love wisdom, develop self-discipline and rightly lead his people. Instead, the king exiled Plato’s student, then kept Plato under an informal house arrest. He couldn’t, …
Recruiting and retaining employees: Start your own school
This is absolutely fascinating look at recruiting and retaining employees (9-minute video): A Seattle Toyota dealership took technician retention from 30 percent to 95 percent … by starting their own school. The general manager hired away an auto repair instructor (and former tech for the store) who teaches in the store’s conference room and service bays. This, along with a …
Podcast 52: Plato’s 8 Universal Leadership Qualities (Part 3: VERY Good-Looking)
Subscribe and listen on Spotify or Apple … or watch below. (We’ve been producing podcasts for a year! How did that happen?) In Plato’s Republic, Socrates defines eight characteristics a leader must have. How do you feel about the fact that the third item is “very good-looking?” What does that mean in the modern world? … Are you good-looking? Two …
Horn Sections Make Rock Better: Mean to Me
Skip to 1:30 if you aren’t interested in the antics of a young New Zealand band in the ’80s. Why Crowded House didn’t use more horns is beyond me–they sound so good here.
Your coworker, the flat-earther
There is an important point about employee engagement below. But first, a quote. Do any of the following coworkers sound like people you have known? If you can get past the old-fashioned (and hilarious) writing style, this list of bank employees will give you a smile: The place was full of quaint characters. There was West, who had been requested …
Podcast 51: Plato’s 8 Universal Leadership Qualities (Part 3: Courage)
Subscribe and listen on Spotify or Apple … or watch below. In Plato’s Republic, Socrates defines eight characteristics a leader must have. Number 2 is courage. Can you stand short-term pain for long-term gain? Are you willing to show your heart? If you don’t see the connection, this episode is for you. Questions or ideas for the podcast? Email Mike and …
Automotive disruption is (finally) here?
Another for my automotive friends: The data and historical examples are sobering in colleague Dr. Dan Edgar’s predictions of disruption for automotive retail. For example, BEVs have a life cycle of 500,000 to 1 million miles. Hmm. Great organizations test their own assumptions. What here challenges your team’s current thinking? What do you want to do with it?
Horn Sections Make Rock Better: Deep Dark Truthful Mirror
I’ve been thinking about mirrors lately. I, and many of my clients, have been taking a look in the mirror. It’s a healthy–and painful–thing to do. I’ve also been reading Peter Senge‘s “The Fifth Discipline,” a classic text my father often referenced in his work, from my teens to the present. Senge argues that the truly effective organization is the …
Hanging out at airports with Gen Z
I’m not quite sure what to make of this Vice article about “Airport Culture.” The short version: Generation Z in London have been taking the bus to the airport and using it as a hangout. It’s cheap. It’s safe. And you can people-watch or even connect with strangers–many of whom are in the middle of major life events. It is …