What is my message (and why does it matter)?
April 28, 2023
What is my message? is a question that has an out-sized impact on our lives, even when we aren’t aware of it....
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The Identity Beacon Blog
First, quiet the dragons
January 16, 2023
Sometimes, all of this suffering gets to me, yet I am powerless to alleviate it. It’s too much. Too big. Too far away. Still, to do nothing isn’t an option....
Read MoreThank you, David Reed
October 18, 2022
A friend of mine recently sent me this LinkedIn post by someone named David Reed. Actually, it’s not a post; it’s a meditation on mortality. But more. It is a meditation on life. The power and grace of his words startled me. I wondered whether...
Read MorePromises, promises
June 3, 2022
We live in a world informed by the goals we set for ourselves. To be an A student. To learn how to make world-beating Italian food. To finish writing that children’s book. To make the varsity tennis team. To be able to play guitar with...
Read MoreShhhhh.
January 24, 2022
“There is something terribly wrong with a culture inebriated by noise and gregariousness.” These words from George Steiner, a leading, French-born American literary critic, struck me as perfectly fitting for how we live today. Or don’t. We live in chaotic times that ceaselessly demand our attention in...
Read MoreWill my life be rich?
October 24, 2021
There is a hopelessness in the air these days. We have, many believe, reached the point of no return when it comes to getting along with people who don’t see things our way. We speak the same language yet understand nothing. To quote a famous...
Read MoreWhat do you love (And why does it matter?)
April 26, 2021
The question, what do you love?, probably triggers thoughts ranging from favorite foods to favorite sports, hobbies and other activities. Maybe, you love grilling a great burger, or roasting fresh salmon, or sipping French reds from Bordeaux. Maybe, what you love revolves around golf or...
Read MoreWho can I trust?
January 15, 2021
On December 13, 2020, George Schultz turned 100. In an article in The Washington Post around the same time, Schultz, a former U.S. secretary of labor, treasury and state, described the 10 most important things he learned about trust over the course of his life. Here...
Read MoreWhy the middle matters
September 9, 2020
One has to go beyond the pairs of opposites to find the real source of anything.” Joseph Campbell We’re living in a polar world, a world which, in many ways, is defined by polar opposites. Our notion of opposites tends to default to politics: Republicans...
Read MoreWhat does joy mean to you?
June 27, 2020
In my last Viewsletter, I referred to the Book of Joy, published in 2016, which condenses a week’s worth of discussions between Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama into a compendium of wisdom. In today’s complicated world, I believe it’s worth looking at joy,...
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A time for JOY
March 31, 2020
The two men reflect on their personal experiences and outline what they call the eight pillars of joy. In re-reading the book, I was struck by how relevant these pillars are today as we navigate a new way of being in the world....
Read MoreWhat do you believe? (v.7)
December 17, 2019
It’s been two years since my end-of-year viewsletter focused on what you believe. Too long! Over time, readers have submitted dozens of answers, ranging from the illuminating, serious, and funny, to the distressing and the reassuring. Let’s do it again. After all, we are in...
Read MoreThe art of asking for help
October 9, 2019
It’s not always easy asking for help. But we all need it, now and again. ...
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How can we make “it” real?
July 23, 2019
In my last Viewsletter, I posed the question: How many north stars does one company need? The answer? Just one. Whether you call it your mission, brand, purpose, vision, or identity is beside the point. What matters most is that whatever statement you select be...
Read MoreHow many north stars does one company need?
April 24, 2019
Some years ago, I had the opportunity to help Dow Chemical clarify its global brand: What was the company all about? Why was it here? How did the company make a meaningful difference to its customers, employees, suppliers, communicates, even investors? When I arrived in...
Read MoreThe death of integrity
January 20, 2019
I recently came across a witty line that was part of a political message: Stop truth decay! The thought has stuck with me. It is memorable and meaningful. It is common knowledge that politics is a business that, for the most part, lacks integrity. Politicians will...
Read MoreAre you stayin’ alive?
October 31, 2018
The other day, a classic rock station happened to play the Bee Gee’s famous 1977 song, Stayin’ Alive. The lyrics tell the story of someone who is struggling with life, but won’t give up. He has ups and downs, but has hope and won’t abandon...
Read MoreWhy can’t we all just get along?
July 9, 2018
Diversity and pluralism have informed America’s identity for generations. In these two principles, we celebrate the fullness of our humanity: the similarities as well as the differences that make us the individuals we are. Yet today we are short-changing that humanity by confusing social labels...
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Managing the Safari Way
April 23, 2018
Managing the Safari Way I’m just back from my third trip to Tanzania – a three-week immersion into a startlingly different land, whose people, animals, birds and weather never fail to help me see life more fully than I otherwise might. These safaris give new meaning...
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