Extra Effort Fun

Last night I was interviewed about What I Wish I Had Known Volume 1 on the Extra Effort Forum. It was a great experience. Andrew T. Carr, the producer and host of the show, created a wonderfully positive environment for exchange.  We discussed a whole bunch of things – from why I wrote the book

Play Nice

I recently interviewed someone for a career opportunity. He was not really prepared and fumbled with his words and the power point presentation slides he brought into the interview. My job interviewing style is fair, yet probing. If a question isn’t answered, I will ask it again. This individual’s nervousness started to derail the entire

Second Chances

When I think about my job at Chicago Booth, I smile. There are scads of reasons – from the fact I love what I do and that the students, alumni, and staff are amazing to how much I learn and have opportunities to share these insights with others. There is another, really important thing for

It Takes Courage

Do you have a dream? Now is the time to act. Period. Thanks, Anita Share the encouragement – http://www.whatIwishIhadknown.org. Please read it and share it (pay it forward) with all of the young and young-at-heart people you know. Since the download is free – through May – you can share the link (http://whatiwishihadknown.org) as widely

Courage, Talent, and Heart

Last night, I was with a group of friends and the conversation turned to having guts and determination. My friend, Dan, told us about being hit by the financial crisis and losing his job. While that is not unusual, Dan’s approach to find a new one was remarkable. He started with all of the regular

Be the Solution

I was visiting with an acquaintance yesterday who was upset about a volunteer group of which she is a member. While she was the first to admit that she wanted to complain, she refused to do so. She realized that she could bad-mouth the people in her group, but that would do absolutely nothing the

Be Open to Surprises

This morning when I was meditating, I was thinking deeply about what I want to do next and how. I really love to interview people and share what we learn with many others. It’s a natural and immensely enjoyable set of activities. My next step is super short podcasts. That’s clear to me. What was

Don’t Stop

I have this “fantasy” that my goals will unfold step-by-step according to my timetable. While this does happen, it’s just a tiny bit of the time. Mostly, I create victories in my life through an iterative process: take action, think – “what’s going on,” regroup, and act again. Even though I might prefer a high

Don’t Believe Everything You Hear

Some people will tell you what they think and be supportive and constructive – others will be brutally honest, but mean. So you can’t always believe everything that you hear. Decide what is true and make changes accordingly. Also, when you give feedback, do so as a strict mentor with a compassionate heart. Happy Wednesday,

Thanks!

As corny as it may sound, thank you’s do make the world a better place. It’s simple (just two words,) you can say it in many forms (from a tweet to an old-school handwritten note,) and the monetary outlay is little to none. Yet the payoff and benefit to the person saying thanks and the