Have you ever asked yourself why it’s so hard to teach the proverbial “old dog” new tricks? Maybe he’s a little hard of hearing, maybe he needs a nap, or just maybe, he relies so much on his old tricks that he no longer bothers to try. Well, for Americans at least, not trying isn’t … More Stuck in a career rut? (You’re never too old to learn something new.)

Among the most diabolical torture techniques ever conceived is one in which a victim is repeatedly forced to dig a hole, only to refill it. It’s been applied in different forms and at different times throughout the millennia, and always with the sole intention of destroying morale. There’s something unspeakably painful about subjecting a human … More Finding Our Way to Things of Higher Value (How getting lost in your purpose makes the world a better place)

This morning I happened to be walking towards a street that was cordoned off with yellow tape. A good half dozen patrol cars were already at the scene, their lights flashing as a crowd of rubberneckers gathered. The source of the commotion was a shirtless man with wild grey hair pacing back and forth high … More The Chair and The Man on the Roof (Seeking creative elevation)

A friend of mine commented recently that everyone looks good at twenty-two. He’s (almost) right. There’s no denying it. There’s something captivating about youth itself. Youthful hair is good; it’s full and dark — or full and blond as the case may be. Youthful skin is clear and unblemished. But that’s just the physical dimension. … More Lessons For & From the Un-Young (Seeing the underestimated value in growing old.)

The United States Armed Forces has long defined cognitive myopia, the inability to see outside narrow or habituated frameworks, as a national security concern. And just as a poet or rock musician makes a career of combating narrow-minded thinking, the Armed Forces works to do the very same thing. It may explain why a group … More The War On Myopia (What I learned from my week at the United States Army War College)

I’m leaving for Chicago today; I need to be there for work bright and early tomorrow morning. Of course, that means I’ll be making a stop at LAX, the Los Angeles International Airport, a place that’s not really a place at all. It is, similar to every other large airport, just a transit point. Every moment spent … More The Delicate Indestructability of Love

The question I have for organizations is simple: Do you really want more creativity, innovation, and vulnerability in your workplace or are you just giving lip-service to a kind of change that you have no intention of implementing? Sure you’d like your employees to have more buy-in with your company’s brand and mission statement. And … More “Innovation, creativity, vulnerability…”​ (Do companies really want this stuff?)

I spend a lot of time with companies and individuals to help them unlock their creativity and reach their full potential. Here are some simple answers to the questions I get the most often. #1. I don’t consider myself a naturally creative person, is there hope for me? First, Unlearn this! These Are Our Creative … More The Three Most Commonly Asked Questions About Creativity… Answered