Play Like the Patriots – Win Like the Celtics
Regular readers of this blog know that I set New Year’s themes, not resolutions. At the beginning of the year, after the incredible regular season performance by the New England Patriots (American football), I decided my theme would be “Play Like the Patriots.” But, as many of you know, my beloved team lost the Superbowl back […]
How to Publish a Book in 2 Weeks for $200
NOTE: This article was written a decade ago. The approach still works just fine, however there are newer and better tools that might be available for layout, transcription, or editing. I tried to note these in a few sections. I realize that book publishing does not directly relate to innovation. But I have had so […]
Harvard Leadership and the Presidency Debrief
The other day I attended an event at Harvard about “Leadership and the Next President.” There were some big names in the audience and on stage. Today I am going to blog about one of the panel discussions which focused specifically on leadership skills necessary to be President. Not surprisingly, these are the same skills […]
Blizzards and the Birth of the ATM
“Build it and they will come.” We hear that mantra a lot. But with innovation, it is often more like, “Solve a pain and they will come.” The ultimate success of the automated teller machine (ATM) is a great example of this. The other night I was having dinner with someone who in the mid-1970’s […]
7 Ways Innovation Can Help Recession-Proof Your Business
As the economy continues to tumble, it is tempting to cut back on your investments in innovation. But now is the perfect time to increase your innovation efforts. Here are seven creative ways that innovation can help you recession-proof your business. 1. Make Your Products/Services More Accessible Successful companies are now shifting their emphasis away from increased performance […]
Targeting Your Audience
There is one thing I realized early in my speaking career: being a great speaker does not mean you will necessarily have a great speaking business. This past weekend I gave a presentation on how to have a great speaking business. Although my tips were targeted at speaking professionals, they are relevant to anyone in […]
Be Outrageous, It’s the Only Place That’s Not Crowded
My previous entry focused on innovation as a way of helping you stand out in a crowd. I also discussed how wearing a bathrobe at a black tie event can have the same effect. In my Goal-Free Living book, I interviewed a successful entrepreneur (and now a good friend), Mikki Williams. Mikki is the master […]
Innovation Can Help You Stand Out in a Crowd
Innovation can help your organization improve its products, processes, or business model. But maybe, innovation’s greatest strength is helping you stand out from the crowd. Let me give you a personal example where I learned this by accident. A few years back, when I lived in London, I was a member of a hip and […]
What is Passion?
The other day I was having lunch with Mike Bell, the man who hired me for an engineering co-op job during university – an opportunity that changed my life. He has also changed the lives of over 250,000 students who have been educated with his math instruction methods. During our time together, he gave me […]
Play Like The Patriots?
Readers of my blog know that my “theme” this year is Play Like the Patriots. For those of you who missed it, my beloved team was defeated by the New York Giants in a major upset Sunday night in the Superbowl. After winning all 18 games this year, the Patriots lost the big one. I […]