One interesting thing that happens to me at parties is that when people discover I am a psychologist, they want to share some professional or personal issue to get my insight. It is an occupational hazard, and it happened again this past weekend. After being introduced to a fellow by a mutual friend, our conversation eventually turned to his concerns about his son, who did not seem to be doing well in his sales job. He was capable enough except...

A story in last weekend’s Wall Street  Journal, America’s Greatest Math Team Shares It Secrets, tells how a retired financial trader turned educator transformed an average-performing Florida High School into a mathematical powerhouse. Retired bond trader Will Frazier believed he could bring his financial acumen to improve mathematics education in public schools. He took a position teaching math at Buchholz High School and immediately formed a math team to participate in national competitions. He asked himself and others how best...

I’m seeing Facebook and LinkedIn posts from friends and colleagues who are off on vacations to the beach, Scandinavia, or Greece or maybe staycationing and heading off to the neighborhood pool. I love seeing your smiling faces, whether with the Acropolis in the background, writing your daughter’s name in the sand, or the look of excitement (or fear) as you begin your first parasailing adventure. Summer is the time for rejuvenation. We often use celebrations like New Year’s Day or...

One of the great controversies in the canine world is why do dogs love to stick their heads out the window of a moving car.  Perhaps it is the views that expand their world outside of their crates and home world. Maybe it is the wind blowing up their coiffure that serves as a kind of air massage or they may just be tired of hearing their owners exclaim, “sit, stay” and” don’t stick your head out, it’ll be crushed...

The Resilience Advantage promotes the notion that we want to be prepared for difficult events before they happen. That may mean that we are able to predict them ahead of time or that we are strengthen our overall resources so that when adversity strikes, we have the resources needed to take on the challenge. That kind of preparation requires us to think differently and creatively. The girl in today’s photo is cleverly using the shadow of the giraffe as a...

Deborah called me last week to tell me it worked!  Yea I thought, and then I realized I had no idea what I had told her that worked so well. In our coaching session the previous week, I suggested to her that she could consider the choices she wanted to exercise in meetings with her team. She described her leadership style as being open and collaborative and for her, that meant that she would almost always go full disclosure with...