Excerpt: “The Lost Tools of Business”

Following is an excerpt from my upcoming book, “The Lost Tools of Business.” We are in the process of getting it ready for publication, and I’d love your thoughts in the comments below. The events that led to this book began with a call from my wife that stopped my heart: “Well, I’m uncomfortable.”  “Uncomfortable” meant “almost done with labor.” …

A French aristocrat’s timeless lesson for the USA—and for employee engagement

Organizations like Gallup have been studying how to unlock employee engagement for decades now. It turns out a French aristocrat figured it out about two centuries ago. The answer lies in determining if you have citizens … or subjects. Democracy in America Alexis de Tocqueville toured the United States in the 1830s. He then published “Democracy in America.” Its outside-the-fishbowl …

The Lost Tools of Business: An Introduction

I am writing a book, “The Lost Tools of Business.” It is an attempt to share with organizations the secrets to growing successful cultures that I have learned through classical education. I’ll be previewing drafts of the chapters periodically on this blog. The following is the introduction. I would love–and need–your feedback. I hope this is a blessing to you …

Employees who THINK! (like Lincoln did: thanks to geometry)

“They just don’t THINK!” Almost every manager and business owner I’ve served has, at some point, complained that employees are just not thinking clearly. They are going through the motions. Or acting emotionally. Or making bad assumptions. Or just not considering consequences. If there is one U.S. president who kept himself free of such problems, it has to be Abraham …

“What does this have to do with sales!”

I recently learned that one of my clients had to fire its no. 2 sales consultant. He was really good. But now that I’m reading Plato, I think losing him was inevitable. A few years earlier, I facilitated a sales meeting for this client. We talked about practicing empathy with customers to demonstrate trustworthiness. It was about emotional intelligence–typical stuff, …

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, …

Leadership qualities: How do you compare to Plato’s list?

Worldwide influence If you are willing to wrestle and grow more organized, confident and influential, consider the leadership qualities listed in Plato’s Republic. Some context: Socrates taught Plato. Plato taught Aristotle. Aristotle taught Alexander the Great. Alexander conquered most of the known world. He died young but left an impact, spreading Greek thought and culture throughout the globe–a foundation of …

The Greek’s intentional culture: no financial and moral negligence

Costly culture failures That’s not meant to be an over-the-top headline. But I hope it sobers your thinking on your “intentional culture.” I shared this article with clients in 2018. It reviews several of the scandals that took down business leaders and organizations at the time. (Those scandals have since been replaced with yet more scandals and takedowns.) A money …