A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, some of science fiction’s greatest legends were doing something that many well-drawn characters do: they were teaching my clients about attributes. If you’re not already familiar with attributes—the unique, natural strengths that we all have but don’t necessarily value as we ought—I would encourage you…
Making Bad Grades: An Unorthodox Tip for the New School Year
Let’s go back in time: You’re 12 years old, walking home from school, sweating over the report card in your backpack. Your parents ask for it the minute you walk through the door. On it, they see 2 As, 2 Bs, and a D. Which grade do Mom & Dad want to talk about first? For…
Personal Attributes à la Temple Grandin, Power-Alley Superstar
Temple Grandin is a doctor of animal science, a professor at Colorado State Universty, a best-selling author, an animal-behavior consultant to the livestock industry, and an autism activist. And she’s autistic herself. Because of her neurodevelopmental “difference” (different from whose definition of normal, I’m not sure – although I certainly refuse to call it a…
College Schmollege: Changing Attitudes on University Degrees
Thomas Edison, Richard Branson, Jane Austen, Ansel Adams, Jack Dorsey, Woody Allen, Rachael Ray, Winston Churchill, Leonardo Del Vecchio, Bob Dylan, Florence Nightingale, Michael Dell, Walt Disney. I could go on all day. Sound like a strange grouping? Maybe at first blush. But these folks actually have a lot in common. They’re all world changers. All successful,…
The 6-Year-Old in the Room
When I work with clients as they analyze whether a candidate is a good fit for a position, I hear one comment more than any other: “I’d like someone with industry experience.” “Why?” I ask “Isn’t it obvious?” my client replies, surprised by my question. Nope. Not in my book. The reasoning for this experience…
Invested in His People: A Notre Dame Developer Credits Others
In my power-alley attributes seminars, one of the inherent traits we study is what I call the developer attribute. A developer is an encourager, delegator, and mentor—one who is focused on others achieving their goals, who’s driven toward teamwork. Often self-effacing, a developer tends to work behind the curtain. To give you an example that…
