“The best leaders are those the people hardly know exist. The next best is a leader who is loved and praised. Next comes the one who is feared. The worst one is the leader that is despised. If you don’t trust the people, they will become untrustworthy. The best leaders value their words, and use […]
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Lead From Any Chair: Starting a Revolution
In the book “The Art of the Possibility” by Roasamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander, Benjamin describes a concept he calls “leading from any chair”. He found that an orchestra could achieve peak performance levels when its members are able to suggest better ways to play a piece. This goes against the grain of the […]
Five Characteristics You Can Develop To Become a More Productive Leader
Today’s business environment has become more and more volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. Through my 30 plus years of running high performing teams and analyzing the emerging supporting research from the neuroscience community, I’ve identified 5 attributes that can absolutely be developed in existing and emerging leaders. The impact on the financial performance of an […]
360 Degree Thinking: Going Deeper into Third Space Thinking
Third Space Thinking promotes the integration of Adaptability, Cultural Competency, Empathy, Intellectual Curiosity and 360 Degree Thinking into how you view the world. The research done by Dean Wilson and his research team revealed that these are the most valued characteristics in the current and future workplace by top CEOs across the country. In our […]
First Day on a New Job? Here’s How to Make the Best First Impression.
One of the most important parts of being in the workforce is making good first impressions to those you meet in professional capacities. Whether you are a new employee at a company or you are meeting important people at a networking event, you’ll need to make a fantastic first impression. While there are many little […]
Third Space: Adaptability
Great minds are adaptable. They shun static expectations, and are in a constant search of new problems and how to solve them. Instead of breaking under pressure, the adaptable mind is strengthened by it. Facing these kinds of challenges is an invaluable skill, and it is no wonder why adaptability is the second of the […]
Alain de Botton on making the humanities useful, studying ads, and the need for a “wisdom industry” — Quartz
Best known for his writing and his TV series Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness, Alain de Botton is one of the world’s foremost public intellectuals. His books include Status Anxiety, The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work, and Religion for Atheists. A popularizer of philosophy, he’s convinced that modern economies fail to adequately provide for human […]
My Twelve Commandments — Acolyte of Disorder
Today, I finished reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin and will be launching my own series of posts modeled after her journey. I am constantly dwelling on all the ways I want to improve my life, but without a framework, those ambitions rarely come to flourish. I created my Twelve Commandments with respect to […]
I first met David almost a year ago. Since then I have been shocked at the impact he had had on my life and the lives of the founders I work with. His perspective, calmness, and clearly defined courses of action have helped me navigate some of the most difficult times in my career, and have saved founders I work with both time and money. Most importantly, though, David has helped me and my founders be better leaders.
David brings a deep level of compassion to leadership. He recognizes that high employee engagement directly ties to delivery of superior financial results. He moves easily between energizing large groups to mentoring individuals. As a merchant, David is laser-focused on the customer’s needs. He and his Team consistently anticipated market trends, both with key digital and traditional retailers. He continues to have a deep understanding of evolving consumer trends.
I cannot speak highly enough of my professional experience with David. He is smart, fair, even keeled and a great leader. He possesses a warmth and sense of humor that helped to create a great work environment among the hundreds of employees that he managed. Additionally he was and continues to be respected enormously by industry leaders and key customers.