It’s been quiet up here in the treehouse, at least outwardly. While I often sit among its calming branches, it’s been hard in the past few months to find pearls of wisdom to rise above the current political and cultural …
The Government Shutdown:
How to Embrace the Unknown to Survive and Thrive
Julie Benezet’s January 23, 2019 interview with Steve Bertrand on WGN’s Wintrust Business Lunch.
Hitting the Re-Set button—Five Steps to Overcome Inertia
With holidays come interesting dynamics. Many years ago, I lived in a New York Chelsea neighborhood loft. In the middle of said loft sat a fancy, schmancy, over-the-top Garland range. Why we had such an elaborate stove is beyond me. …
The Journey in Verse
Over the holidays, I attended a Boxing Day party for which each of the guests was asked to bring something creative to share. Being a little shy of sharing my latest Pulitzer prize winning novel or belting out an aria …
Pursuing the New with a New Book
It began with, “WHERE is the book?” The question came from well-meaning friends and colleagues during the several years I spent not writing said book. Eventually I ran out of excuses and ground out The Journey of Not Knowing: How …
Discovering Your Roots Can Boost Your Growth
The popular PBS program, “Finding Your Roots,” brought home, literally and figuratively, how familial roots run deep, offering insights from distant times and places. With his calm presence, the host, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., mesmerized his guests as he …
A Love Supreme: The Day I Rediscovered Jazz, Cooking, and Rebooting
Last week I heard the news about the discovery of a lost John Coltrane recording. The seven cut recording preceded by two years his 1965 album, “A Love Supreme,” that secured his reputation as a jazz giant. When I read …
Leading in the Discomfort Zone
For most people the word, “discomfort,” conjures up a physical sensation—a slight sick feeling in the stomach, a disorienting unease, an accelerating heart rate. Whatever is happening, chances are, it doesn’t feel good. Life is about to get complicated, firing …
Can the “Real Me” Succeed to Lead? – Part 2
Five Building Blocks for Closing the Gap Between Personal and Executive Presence
Part 2: Five Building Blocks
“Always be a first-rate version of yourself and not a second-rate version of someone else.” –Judy Garland
As described in …
Can the “Real Me” Lead and Succeed? – Part 1
Five Building Blocks for Closing the Gap Between Personal and Executive Presence
Part 1: Minding the Gap
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” The ever-quotable Oscar Wilde gives what seems like obvious advice. However, for many …