A Cold Truth?

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I have long enjoyed saying that youth is fleeting, but immaturity can last a lifetime. Curiously, this afternoon, I feel some loss of both.

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IEEE Presentation: Constructive Challenges! 12/7/10

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On Pearl Harbor Day, I had a most enjoyable lunch discussion with members of the Istitute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Education Division, hosted by Jon Moon, President of MEI.  Jon is a friend and longstanding supporter, and true to form, he brought together a very interesting group of technologists and technical leaders. The presentation […]

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Disarming Conversation

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A difference of opinion – expressed with mutual respect – leads to ethical reflection and a renewed commitment to civility.

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Ethical Leadership in Fire Service

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One of the great pleasures of this year has been the the opportunity to serve more fire departments.  An outgrowth of that has been a presentation to fire leaders enrolled in the Hamline University Fire Service Leadership Seminar.  This was the second year of my teaching in that program – and I was twice impressed by the […]

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Heard on the Street

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What happens when courage fails us? We cannot return to a moment of truth, but we can grow based on our experience and prepare for next time.

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Truth in its Proper Dosage

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A sandwich shop encounter leads me to reflect on the fragility of an ethical business culture, with or without onions

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The Autumn of Our Years?

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With the change of seasons, we begin a year-long inquiry into the nature – and the power – of adulthood.

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Serious Fun

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It takes a certain practical wisdom to play with enthusiasm, laugh early and often, and relax when it is time to relax. It is a virtue, and it is contagious. Great memories are here for us, if we pay attention.

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The Ranting Tree

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My youngest child, not yet two years old, has discovered Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree.   “Tree! “Tree!” He begs, pleads, and ultimately demands.  I have read it to him four times today.  It was a light day. I hate The Giving Tree.  I remember it vaguely from my own childhood, when it was read to […]

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Wheezing into Wisdom*

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I recently went for a run through Minnehaha Falls Regional Park.  The day was gorgeous.  While I slowed to enter the “wheezing” portion of my workout, I came up behind a father and son, the latter of college age.  While my cardiovascular system caught up with my greater ambitions, I had occasion to eavesdrop on their conversation.   It […]

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