A leadership commentary on life today by Bob Shank
Somebody: do something… Unless you live in Broward County, Florida, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School would have never crossed your mind. But, since last week, the public high school has become a national flashpoint for an ongoing political debate. The cry for action is emotionally charged: Somebody: do something… In crisis, everyone moves into natural …
Continue reading “The missing message – and ultimate solution from Somebody”
Lust. It’s on the menu for this week… but most don’t know what they’re talking about. For the last few months, lust – past and present – has been in the headlines. Out of control people with power over others – mostly men, just a few women – have been exposed for their histories of …
Continue reading “What’s the point of Wednesday, Valentine’s Day? Lust?”
No one left early. Super Bowl 52 is now in the books. It will command headlines today as the drama that took place in that majestic new stadium in Minneapolis is hashed and rehashed on sports pages and football blogs, as writers and hacks give their opinions on what happened. As is often true, it …
Continue reading “When winners become losers instead of valuable”
The morning newspaper used to be a ritual for many/most people (especially leaders): spend a few minutes getting up-to-speed about what happened in the prior 24 hours – while they were focused on their own domain of engagement – and, then, get back in the game. News, weather and sports… The paper-at-the-door is so old …
Continue reading “Trouble: if you’re a leader, you can expect it…”
Did you rate a team in the preseason?  The wait is over: it’s New England and Philadelphia. The dream-above-all-dreams in Minneapolis became a nightmare yesterday, when the Vikings left the Eagles’ home field in defeat. The Pro Bowl in Orlando will be next week’s fix for the pigskin addicts who are gearing-up for Super Bowl …
Would you like your own holiday like Martin Luther King, Jr? It’s simple: start a significant Movement… and, then, be willing to die for it. Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, recognizing his birth on January 15, 1929. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the unelected yet undisputed leader of the Civil Rights Movement in …
Continue reading “Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: Will your birthday ever be a holiday?”
Late to the party? You might as well stay home; you’ve probably missed the good stuff… It’s not likely that you’ve read the book – Diffusion of Innovations – but you’ve probably heard the concept, and used some of its verbiage. Everett Rogers – professor (emeritus) at the University of New Mexico wrote the book …
If you use the approach that got you here, you’ll likely stay here… and you’ll never find out what could have been possible. This week, you have an opportunity that won’t be yours much longer, so use it. You have the calendar for a new year open before you, and it’s a canvas on which …
As you wrap-up 2017 and point your bow into 2018, which way is the wind blowing? What a year. A contested election; storms, floods and fires from coast-to-coast; a stock market climbing to historic highs; leaders in every sector toppled by revelations of past indiscretions; consumer confidence is “up,” while unemployment is “down;” a tax …
Continue reading “Be careful with your after-Christmas sails”
This month, millions of wonderful people will watch George Bailey – alone, on the bridge – as he looks back and wonders if his decision about his life’s direction was wrong and not wonderful. He’s only 38, but he’s given the best years of his life to the people of Bedford Falls as he operated …
Chosen… for a purpose. Great things are usually the result of important things done – over a long period of time – that mature into magnificence. Three years of day-after-day work in the neighborhoods of Judea and the rural areas of Galilee had led to a Passover Feast in a borrowed banquet hall in Jerusalem. …
Continue reading “You’ve been appointed – chosen – have you heard?”
If you were planning to head down-under for the Convention, it’s off. From the Atheist Foundation of Australia website: “We regret to advise that the 2018 Global Atheist Convention, Reason to Hope, has been cancelled. If you are a ticket holder, you are entitled to a refund (including fees) and we will be in touch …
Continue reading “If you’re looking for hope at the Convention, it’s been canceled”
It’s on Bezos’ calendar every year, Cyber Monday, and I’m putting Jeff Bezos on my prayer list. Tradition used to be the domain of religious practice; in the 21st Century, the number of people self-identifying as “religious” is dropping, but the number of people baptized into Consumerism – at birth, it seems – shows no …
Continue reading “How do you pray for a zillionaire like Bezos?”
Shout what out? Allahu Akbar!? In the explosive tension of modern international reality, to hear that shout – if you’re on-the-street in any nation connected with western civilization – you’ll probably grab your companion(s) and run for cover, fearing imminent attack. The Arabic call – translated “God is Great” – often precedes a martyr’s act, …
King of Glory convention. Were you invited? The annual WE Summit – hosted a week ago in Beijing – was hosted by Tencent Holdings, an innovative holding conglomerate active in all of the high-tech, media-embedded, global-explosion categories that explain its $476 billion market value. Active video gaming, they own the world’s most popular multiplayer online …
Continue reading “King of Glory: what do really smart people talk about?”
We’re coming off an epic week. Thousands of people braved weather, traffic and crowded schedules to stand in line for their shot at the new iPhone X, released for purchase by adoring Appleites last Friday. Who would pay $1000 for the newest and coolest mobile device on the planet? Answer: more people than would have …
Continue reading “Scarcity…Faith says “yes” when the inventory says “no””
It might be worth taking the day off to celebrate Martin Luther. Tuesday is a really big day. Say that to a culture obsessed with the macabre – with modern cult television series featuring zombies/walking dead/vampires/werewolves/witches – and attention shifts to Halloween. You can expect to find Costume Tuesday across the retail/commercial landscape this week, …
Continue reading “Tomorrow is the Fourth of July… Luther’s original 95 Theses”
Culture? The symptoms are undeniable, and call for radical treatment. If your doctor were to say that to you in his/her examining room, only a fool would challenge the diagnosis and charge the doctor with malpractice. The wise patient would seek a treatment prescription designed to conquer the conditions and to restore health. Two social …
Continue reading “Culture – a heresy formerly known as “common sense””
It was just another crazy week… once I grabbed my travel bag. I boarded my flight in Orange County – my local airport – last Monday morning, headed to Minneapolis, through Dallas. Tuesday morning was an introductory briefing for the new cohort for The Master’s Program in the Twin Cities, and – beginning Tuesday evening …
Motive. Why? The investigations in Las Vegas have moved past the what and how questions surrounding Stephen Craig Paddock’s attack on the crowd at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas. It’s been seven days, but no manifesto or suicide note has emerged. Social media postings are – apparently – non-existent. A secret circle …
Horrific. There are no words to describe the scene last night. “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” is a marketing offer; it has no enforceability this morning. What happened when Stephen Paddock – at this point, known only as an apartment manager in a retirement community in Mesquite, Nevada – unleashed hell on the …
Continue reading “Horrific. Yet you have the Ultimate Solution.”
“Yeah, but…,” It’s probably illegal to fish for that response to a direct order in a job interview. There are certain things you cannot ask of an employment prospect. Are you pregnant? How old are you? Are you in debt? Do you drink or smoke? Who did you vote for? Those are verboten questions… Jesus …
What do you do for an encore? Pass out some money? Great achievements can become great distractions. String a bunch of once-in-a-lifetime moments together – in a short period of time – and you could almost get a pass on being productive. This morning after Hollywood’s television community passed around their Emmy trophies, most of …
“I know stuff Millennials don’t know. I do stuff Millennials don’t do. I do it because I see things differently than Millennials, and it’s my job to help other people know what I know, do what I do, and think the way I think…” Those are Paul’s thoughts, summarizing his written comments to the believers …
What happens when people turn 30 (thirty)? “Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt.” (Genesis 41:46). “David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years.” (2 Samuel 5:4). “Now Jesus himself …
Continue reading “Relay winners know how to pass the baton to a thirty years old”
“On that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights…” (Genesis 7:11-12) That’s the way it feels today in south Texas. Folks in/around Houston are dealing with epic weather conditions. Records abound: rivers cresting …
This is the day we’ve all been waiting for…an eclipse. If your workforce punches a clock – with the assurance that they’re being productive while they’re on-the-job – this may turn out to be a low impact day for you. Wherever you are (if you’re reading this within the continental United States), TES (Total Eclipse …
Continue reading “Racing to Darkness; It’s No Metaphor for the Eclipse”
Life. Ballgames. Picnics. Beach parties. Movies. “Summertime, and the livin’ is easy…” The “lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer” are running down; there’s not much time left to do nothing. What are you doing with the last of your off days? Hollywood rolls out some of their best stuff during summer; some of them catch …
Continue reading “The Red Carpet doesn’t lead to the Pearly Gates”
Could someone say, “succession plan?” Put yourself in his place. You’ve grown up in the family business, and everyone has known – for years – that you would someday take the lead at succession. Your father – a nice guy – announces his retirement, in public (so there’s no turning back). He’s 96… Finally, the …
Texans call it “all hat, and no cattle,” when referring to an unsubstantiated claim of leadership. It’s colorful; it’s descriptive, and it’s going on, constantly. You know it when you see it: someone claims to be something that their performance does not confirm. Their rhetoric isn’t matched by their results; their claims fall short of …