It’s true. I just bought a pineapple. That in itself is not a major achievement. But it becomes something extraordinary when you consider that I left the grocery store and carried the pineapple two blocks back to my apartment in … Continue reading I Just Bought a Pineapple
I wish someone had explained this to me when I was younger. It would have saved me time and aggravation. Then again, I was such a know-it-all, I probably wouldn’t have listened. I had to do things my way. Which … Continue reading Over Easy in a Hard-Boiled World
In an excellent article in the McKinsey Quarterly, Jeff Luhnow, general manager of baseball’s Houston Astros, explained that base runners need to be aggressive. If they aren’t, it will cost the team not only runs but wins over the regular … Continue reading Thrown Out at Third
It’s Father’s Day and I need socks. Socks and underwear. Ties, socks, and underwear are the traditional gifts for dad for this festive holiday. Over the years, I have come to wear ties less frequently except for an occasional bow … Continue reading A Father’s Day Wish
When I see articles or posts promising enlightenment in five easy steps or proclaiming the ten definitive rules of entrepreneurship, I do what most reasonable people do. I run. As you might imagine, I am in great shape, since posts … Continue reading Five “Easy” Questions
If you spend time on social media, as I do, you probably have come across “comfort zone” posts. These are often accompanied by inspirational photos and quotes from motivational speakers in headsets with flashy smiles like Tony Robbins. They claim … Continue reading In Praise of Comfort Zones
This week as I met with a major insurance company in New York, I thought of the joke about the German encyclopedia where all of the verbs are in the last volume. It’s a linguist’s joke. Big hit at Goethe conferences. The point is that everything comes together at the end. The punch line, that is. The punch line in negotiations is being able to walk away. But you have to mean it. You can’t bluff. You have to be able to leave the table without having accomplished anything. When I was selling cars (yet another Nine Lives story–I’ve got … Continue reading Do the Walk
