Change Reflections Al Watts It’s been a challenging year, mainly in good ways. Beyond 2017’s general challenges that we’ve likely all encountered, my wife and I have been managing the move from our home of 25 years. I couldn’t help capturing some parallels and
Did you ever suspect that your “true north” isn’t actually true? If so, it could be on account of “variation” or “deviation;” let me explain. Especially before the wonders of GPS and electronic navigation, to sail a true course it was important to know about variation and deviation, t
(This month’s guest author is the founder of MaxPerformance, dedicated to maximizing personal performance, productivity and wellbeing. Nancy and I share the conviction that our “3 Ps:” Purpose, Principles and Priorities are foundational to personal as well as professional wellbeing an
I’ve become even more convinced that change, including positive change, is personal. I’ve been fortunate these last few months to be engaged leading the strategic planning process for an out-of-town higher education institution, coupled with additional teaching loads as adjunct facult
“What if all we had tomorrow is what we were grateful for today?” One of our students in the Master of Organizational Leadership program at St. Mary’s University recently posed this powerful question, prompting me to fortify my efforts cultivating an “attitude of gratitude.” There are
Have you noticed that most of the action happens around the margins of things or across boundaries? Innovative products and medical breakthroughs often bridge biology and chemistry or electrical and mechanical disciplines; many of Medtronics’ products are prime examples. “Mashups” of
Many of you know that sailing is a passion of mine, and my belief that it is a powerful metaphor and venue for teamwork and leadership development. Two years ago I sold our sloop Loon, which for years provided many adventures and leaning opportunities sailing the Great Lakes. In searc
The onset of spring, an upcoming neighborhood garage sale, a spell of bad weather and the inevitable accumulations from 25 years in our family home brought it on; it was time to clear the clutter. While our living quarters were easily navigable and presentable, recesses had become the
Once again, our yearly or thereabouts sojourn to Florida provided the inspiration for this article. Last year’s message was about First Impressions, and this year’s is a related theme: attitude. We’ve grown attached over the years to a favorite “Jimmy Buffet”-type bar and marina in En
There’s been a lot of talk about “authenticity;” we want authentic products, authentic experiences, and authentic leaders. We seek originality; we desire products and services, as well as leaders and organizations that are what they claim to be. Most of the attention has been focuse
