In his speech this morning to the Live2Lead audience, Simon Sinek outlined the difference between finite and infinite games (an idea Seth Godin has also talked about, and was originally introduced by James P. Carse). A finite game has agreed-upon rules, fixed boundaries, players, goals, and an end. A basketball game always ends, and it’s…

We all have our doubts, but they’re usually stuffed away somewhere, ignored, and we’re ashamed that they’re there in the first place. Doubts in our culture are seen as weakness, particularly if you’re a leader. Leaders are looked upon to keep a strong face and produce answers and clarity amidst an ever-changing landscape. But is…

Years ago, when I was first making my way out of school and into the wide world of real life, I asked an older man I respected about what I should do with my life. Maybe his gray hair made him look how I imagined God to look, but somehow I thought he knew what…

Louis CK had this great bit on Conan a couple years ago about the magic of flight and WiFi and how we all feel more entitled than ever before in history. You should watch it again: We’re all quite aware of our #firstworldproblems, but it’s helpful to acknowledge how small they really are sometimes. A…

How do you find fresh ideas? Sometimes we need a change of scenery to think in new ways, and resort to travel or seeking exotic experiences. Many times, though, fresh ideas are hiding right under our noses. In his TED talk, Adam Grant offers some great tips on uncovering the ideas that are closer than…

While chopping wood with some friends today (as you do on a lazy Sunday afternoon), one friend shared a piece of advice for a good chop, which was: Focus on what you want to hit. Which is kind of obvious, really. If you play baseball or golf, you’ll undoubtedly hear someone advising another player to…

I’ll never forget the day we brought our first child home from the hospital. Elated and exhausted, my wife and I drove home from the hospital and set the car seat containing a new little human, our new little human, down on the floor of our apartment. And wept. Of course we overjoyed with the new life…

Yesterday I went to a screening of Design Disruptors. The documentary highlighted the booming tech industry, and the importance of design in solving problems in new ways to “disrupt” entrenched industries. What struck me by the desingers that they interviewed, folks who work for giants like Facebook, Google, Uber and Netflix, was their optimism in…

This evening, driving the long, lonely Trans Canada highway, a light show danced overhead. I pulled over to watch the northern lights brighten the horizon. Usually, though we miss these displays. Eyes glued to screens, roads, or our own anxieties, we miss the things going on all around us, or just overhead. In The Shape…

Every athlete knows about pacing. The pace at which you start a race or a game can’t be sustained if you want to finish strong (I’ve learned that the hard way). But the start can be deceptive. Feeling the adrenaline and jitters of the opening whistle can make you feel invincible. Every start, whether it’s…