Ernest Kent Coulter walked away from a promising career as a newspaperman to serve as clerk in the New York Children’s Court. He was disturbed by the procession of juveniles streaming through the state’s penal system. Time and again, he witnessed the same pattern: a youth got into trouble, was branded as a “bad” kid,…

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“What [a person] knows at fifty that he did not know at twenty is not the knowledge of formulas or forms of words, but of people, places, actions—a knowledge gained by touch, sight, sound, victories, failures, sleeplessness, devotion, love—the human experiences and emotions of this earth and of oneself and of other men.” ~ Adlai…

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The phrase “spending time” isn’t a metaphor. Each of us is allotted 24 hours per day, which we have no choice but to expend. We can neither stockpile time, nor buy back hours already spent. In his book, What To Do Between Birth and Death, author Charles Spezzano offers the following observation about time: You…

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Which significant event or season would you describe as “the time of your life”? Perhaps your wedding day and honeymoon, an adventurous vacation, or the birth of a child. These memorable moments stick in our minds and remembering them brings back feelings of joy. Yet while our lives may be marked by notable occasions, they’re…

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Public confidence in Congress has dropped to historic lows, and the American people have little to no respect for big businesses and banks. The President’s approval rating hovers around 40%, and less than 1/3 of the public expresses “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in the media. At a time when a…

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School is back in session. Over the past few weeks, millions of children have grabbed their backpacks and lunchboxes, boarded the bus, arrived at school, and walked into a classroom full of new faces. During the first day of school, a student’s mind buzzes with questions: • Who will be my friends? • Does my…

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How do you convince people to buy into your vision for the future? That’s the question every leader must figure out how to answer if he or she hopes to have significant influence. Unfortunately, many well-intentioned leaders fail to find support for their vision because they start off on the wrong foot. Communicate the Vision…

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As Americans, we love to roll up our sleeves and do it ourselves. We have an entire television channel, the DIY Network, dedicating to helping us tackle projects on our own—without relying on professional help. Rightfully, we feel a sense of pride after mastering new skills and empowering ourselves to build or fix something around…

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All leaders go through stretches when they have to work overtime to meet deadlines and deliver results. We refer to these times as “busy seasons,” and they are illustrated by the following examples:  The farmer harvesting his crop  An event planner finalizing details on the eve of a major conference  A student…

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In the science-fiction classic, Back to the Future, Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) journeys 30 years back in time—from 1985 to 1955. While in the past, he saves his father (then only a teenager) from being hit by an oncoming car. In doing so, Marty unintentionally breaks the chain of events that led his father…

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