Practically every team in professional sports has one or more players who were not high draft choices but have excelled. Look at the National Football League. Quarterback Tom Brady was drafted 199th i... more
Derek Redmond was favored to medal in the 400-meter race for the United Kingdom at the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. But 150 meters in to the semifinal race, he felt a searing pain in... more
According to a new biography, a man who became infamous for deception got his start at a young age. As a high-school sophomore, this young man was assigned to present a book report to his class.... more
There are few times in life when you are totally alone -- like just before you make a five-minute speech. Or if you doubt the concept of eternity, try and make a five-minute speech.... more
If you’ve read anything I have written over the years, you’ve probably figured out that I love stories that put management principles into action, even when they don’t seem to have anything to do with... more
During this season of Thanksgiving, I’m going to take a detour from business advice and focus instead on gratitude. I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to get to know a remarkable woman whose ... more
Back in 1960, when I bought a small envelope company with dreams of becoming a gazillionaire, I could not imagine a world where people just turned on a machine, clicked through some instructions and p... more
Thomas Jefferson arrived alone on horseback at a hotel in Baltimore and asked for a room. The owner of the hotel looked Jefferson up and down and surmised that he was a lowly farmer and in a curt voic... more
A friend passed along a Coca-Cola ad done by a Belgian advertising agency with the tagline “Happiness starts with a smile.” The commercial takes place on a cramped subway as people are boarding the t... more
Coach John Scolinos was legendary among college baseball coaches. Over his 45-year career, he was the head baseball coach at Pepperdine University from 1946 to 1960 and at California State Polytechnic... more
Never give up. Never quit! That is the motto of Travis Mills, one of only five surviving quadruple-amputee soldiers from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.... more
Charles finally made partner and propped his feet on the desk in his new corner office. He was dreaming of all the perks that accompanied his promotion when a knock on the door snapped him out of his ... more
Two friends were talking about their aspirations. Both had spent several years at the same company, enjoyed the work and the culture, and made advancements in their careers.... more
Walt Disney was a giant in the world of imagination. On Saturdays, Disney took his daughters to a local park to ride the merry-go-round and play. While sitting on a bench watching his children enjoy t... more
There was a young boy who liked to gossip. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he gossiped, he should hammer a nail into the back fence.... more
Creativity fuels innovation, and innovation is essential to business. So I’m sharing my thoughts on creativity, yet I’m using one of my favorite formulas: a simple list of ABCs.... more
Once upon a time, there was a king who wanted to pick the wisest person among his subjects to be his prime minister. He decided to put three finalists to an unusual test.... more
Albert Einstein believed that “only a life lived for others is worth living.” I believe that is one of his most significant observations. And I couldn’t agree more.... more
A monk was strolling through the garden at a Zen monastery, listening to music. He stopped near another monk, who motioned for him to remove his earbuds.... more
A teacher asked her students if any of them had extra pencils they’d be willing to share with their classmates. One student reluctantly raised his hand.... more
A teacher asked her young pupils to tell about their acts of kindness to animals. After several heart-stirring stories, the teacher asked one boy if he had anything to add. He replied rather proudly, ... more
With a new influx of college graduates hitting the job market, I thought it would be a good time to share some advice. I started working when I was just 12 years old, with my first newspaper route, an... more
A new young worker at a construction site sat down to eat his lunch with the rest of the crew. As an older fellow opened his thermos to pour out coffee, the young worker asks, “What’s that?”... more