Blog / News & Opinion

ChangeThis: Issue 117

By Porchlight

The Magic Triangle of Company and Career Health by Rich Karlgaard “The soft edge of business is the side of deeper human longings and values. . .

Blog / Staff Picks

Greg McKeown's Essentialism

Book Review by Porchlight

Greg McKeown has a stomach-sinking story to tell near the beginning of his new book, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, about the day after his daughter was born. Fortunately, the little lady was okay, "healthy and happy at 7 pounds, 3 ounces. " But not everything was well with Daddy.

Blog / News & Opinion

A New KB Giveaway: Six Simple Rules

By Sally Haldorson

Six Simple Rules: How to Manage Complexity Without Getting Complicated by Yves Morieux and Peter Tollman is one of those books that comes into your life at the exact time you need it. And you'll know immediately whether you need it now or not. And if you do?

Blog / ChangeThis

The 3 Stoic Disciplines: How to Turn Your Trials Into Triumphs

By Ryan Holiday

"On a dark night at the front in the year 170 Marcus Aurelius, the most powerful man in the world, wrote the following prescription to himself: 'The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.' Great individuals, like great companies, find a way to transform weakness into strength. It's a rather amazing and even touching feat. They took what should have held them back—what in fact might be holding you back right this very second—and used it to move forward. Like these great individuals we can also flip our obstacles and turn adversity into advantage."

Blog / ChangeThis

Make Your Company Smarter

By Porchlight

"The unspoken beliefs that wield the most influence over business behavior are the metaphors that people use to envision the following major aspects of the work experience: What is business all about? What is a corporation all about? What is management all about? What role do employees play? What really motivates people? What is the nature of change? What's the role of technology? What is the essential nature of work? The answers to these questions define a company's corporate culture. So, then, what type of culture allows companies to pursue strategies that work today? What makes a corporate culture smart, given today's business environment? A good way to answer these questions is to compare what the executives inside successful companies believed in the past as opposed to what executives inside successful (i.e. smart) companies believe today. Here's what 'smart' cultures believe ... "

Blog / ChangeThis

12 Myths that Lead to a Busy, Unfulfilling Life

By Greg McKeown

"15 years ago, I quit law school to pursue one overarching question: 'Why do capable people fail to breakthrough to the next level?' The answer to the question, to my great surprise, is success. I first noticed the phenomenon while working with executive teams in some of Silicon Valley's most innovative companies. When they were focused on the right few things it led to success. But the success bred options and opportunities which undermined the very focus that led to success in the first place. In other words, I found that success can be a catalyst for failure. If we are not careful, it leads to what Jim Collins described as "the undisciplined pursuit of more." It is true for companies; it is true for people."

Blog / ChangeThis

Flowing to the River of Ultimate Performance: The Science of Productivity

By Steven Kotler

"Researchers define flow as an 'optimal state of consciousness,' a peak state where we feel our best and perform our best. . . . If you've ever lost an afternoon to a great conversation or become so involved in a work project that all else was forgotten, then you've tasted this experience. In flow, we are so focused on the task at hand that everything else falls away. Action and awareness merge. Time flies. Self vanishes. All aspects of performance—mental and physical—go through the roof. We call this experience flow because that is the sensation conferred. In the state, every action, each decision, leads effortlessly, fluidly, seamlessly to the next. It's high-speed problem solving; it's being swept away by the river of ultimate performance. This last bit is no exaggeration. Over 100 years of research shows that flow sits at the heart of almost every athletic championship; underpins major scientific breakthroughs; and accounts for significant progress in the arts. . . . In recent years, flow has also become exceptionally critical to business.

Blog / ChangeThis

The Magic Triangle of Company and Career Health

By Rich Karlgaard

"While giving speeches about the post-recession recovery, I began to wonder why some companies had blasted out of the recession in fine shape while others had not yet escaped, as if sick or dysfunctional. When a human being is sick or dysfunctional—or just not thriving—the root cause is always found in one of three areas. Picture a triangle. One side is physical health. Another side is emotional. A third side is social. If you are thriving on just two sides but not on a third, your entire health is at risk. Ask an otherwise physically and mentally healthy person who is struggling with social health, going through a traumatic divorce, say. What does robust health look like in a company or career? Can we find a similar triangle that can help us locate the root cause when our companies and careers are underperforming? I believe so. But warning: I will spend most of the time discussing the least appreciated side of the triangle—the soft edge."

Blog / ChangeThis

How to Ignite Innovation with F.I.R.E.

By Dan Ward

"Solving a difficult technical challenge requires imagination, focus, endurance, and a tolerance for failure, to name but a few key ingredients. However, the real secret behind delivering world-class innovation actually depends on what we lack rather than what we have. [...] In fact, the pattern of rapid, thrifty innovation shows up across a large range of technical contexts and genres. Whether we are talking about submarines or software, medical or military technology, the most impactful and successful innovations tend to be produced by small teams with short schedules, tight budgets, and strong commitments to simplicity."

Blog / Jack Covert Selects

Jack Covert Selects - F.I.R.E.

By Porchlight

F. I. R.