“I owe much. I possess nothing. I leave the rest to the poor.” — Rabelais

My old editor at Forbes, Jim Michaels, whom Warren Buffett said was the best editor of any magazine, told me the things people like to read about are the seven deadly sins. Dante drove the point home.

The Seven deadly sins are pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth. In the 6th century, a very wise Pope Gregory I conveniently turned them into a list so we could remember them. In this regard, he anticipated the use of seven for everything from wonders of…

The second layer is Relationships, all kinds beginning with parents, family, friends, associations, co-workers, colleagues, teammates. How you choose those relationships is as important as the quality of the connection. I like to think of former Bear Stearns’ CEO Ace Greenberg who would say he hires only the best, called PSD or Poor, Smart, with Desire to get rich. Greenberg believed we misunderstand being rich, which is good and don’t distinguish it from greed, which isn’t. He believed the qualities that made for great success were not always recognized by fancy pedigrees, once quipping that “Our first desire is to…

If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts, but if he begins with doubts, he shall end in certainties.

— Sir Francis Bacon, 1626

It is a careless author that does not check the rearview mirror. In our case, the five guiding principles sounded a wee bit familiar and it turns out they have a venerable heritage.

In our study of extraordinary lives, we discovered an ancient scientific decision-making method that was invented by Sir Francis Bacon in the 16th century. It led the Elizabethans to light up the English Renaissance and predicted the industrial revolution…

(This article previously appeared in Chief Executive Magazine)

“Everything is settled for the greater good of the greatest number by the common sense of most after the consultation of all.” — Winston Churchill

How humble upbringing and a freak accident inspired Olympian Michael Phelps.

When we think about the enormous challenges facing leaders today, things like disruptive technology and geopolitical hysteria come to mind. We expect our leaders to rise to the occasion, and when they do, we celebrate and praise them.

But is that the “end of the story”?

In fact, by simply adding up the highlights of a leader’s life, have we really learned how to translate their unique talent into winning in our own lives? …

“Go out on a limb. That’s where the fruit is.” — Jimmy Carter

“Just don’t do anything you will regret for the rest of your life”

— Spencer Tracy’s advice to a young actor

In 2020, Dr. Ben McVane was at the “epicenter of the epicenter of coronavirus.” He’s not complaining, however, it’s where he spends his days, where he chooses to be, as you’ll see.

As McVane related to the New York Times, “When I walk to work, I see women selling tamales and smell the strong Colombian coffee. …

Give me a place to stand, and I shall move the world”

— Archimedes, 340 AD

“Adversity is the waiting room of achievement”