Leadership

“None of us is as smart as all of us.” – Ken Blanchard

The phrase collective genius is often celebrated but rarely practiced. We all nod our heads when we hear about the power of collaboration, yet most organizations, and even our broader culture, fall into patterns that prevent it from flourishing. What holds us back isn’t a lack of intelligence or creativity; it’s a set of deeply ingrained habits that elevate the individual at the expense of the group.

In Western societies, particularly those sh…

“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” – Jane Goodall

I find myself reflecting deeply on the extraordinary life and legacy of Jane Goodall — a scientist, activist, and storyteller who has profoundly changed the way we view our planet and ourselves. Her passing marks the end of an era, but her influence continues to ripple through every act of compassion and curiosity she inspired. Jane didn’t just study chimpanzees; she redefined our und…

"The main character of any living system is openness." — Ilya Romanovich Prigogine

Have you ever worked in a team where one person — through their energy, attitude, or mere presence — completely shifted the atmosphere? Maybe they were assertive, loud, dismissive, or radiated negativity. You could almost feel the air change when they entered the room. We have all experienced this. I certainly have. And it never fails to remind me of one essential truth: we are not machines; we are living systems.

T…

“Real innovation is not always fast or flashy; it is often layered, embodied, and slow burning.”

In The Innovators: How Mature Minds Shape Creativity, economist David Galenson dismantles one of our most persistent cultural myths – the idea of the lone, young genius who transforms a field overnight. Instead, he presents a more nuanced and liberating truth: there are at least two distinct paths to groundbreaking work, and neither is inherently superior.

Conceptual innovators strike like lightning. T…

If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Invisibility? Flight? The ability to see the future?

Back in the early 1980s, there was a quirky TV show called The Greatest American Hero. (Cue the theme song: “Believe it or not, I’m walking on air…”)

In the show, aliens gift an ordinary man with a superhero suit designed to help him save the world. There’s just one small problem: he immediately loses the instruction manual. The rest of the series is him crash-landing into walls, shooting laser…

“Greatness is not built in haste but in layers.”

This photo is of Wat Arun (the Temple of Dawn), in Bangkok, a place that has stood for centuries on the banks of the Chao Phraya River. Taking a boat ride along the Chao Phraya is an experience you are not likely to forget. Seeing its intricate spires rise above the water, I’m reminded that structures of beauty and endurance are never built in a single stroke. They emerge through layers of craftsmanship, patience, and devotion over time. Too often,…

“Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that’s creativity.” – Charles Mingus

I used to be an insight hoarder. Maybe you’ve been there too. I’d collect random articles, highlight books, bookmark podcasts, save screenshots of quotes, scribble half-formed ideas in notebooks with the belief that someday, somehow, this mountain of inputs would make me more creative. But the truth was, my collection wasn’t making me sharper; it was just making me …

“The human world is shaped by two terrible truths: we are bad at predicting the future and we are good at ignoring the past.”

When I first heard this quote, it struck me with the weight of a paradox we all live with. As leaders, we’re constantly asked to chart the path ahead while carrying the lessons of what came before. Our default modes betray us; we often lunge forward with false certainty about what’s next, while brushing aside the inconvenient or uncomfortable wisdom of history. The result …

“Longevity isn’t about staying the same; it’s about evolving without losing your soul.”

I took this photo at The Black Keys concert I attended at the MGM Music Hall at Fenway. I’ve been following the band since their very first album, and now, 14 albums later, I’m struck by how they’ve managed to grow, shift, and experiment with their sound, yet remain unmistakably themselves. That’s the quiet brilliance of endurance. Whether in music, leadership, or life, the challenge isn’t simply to reinvent; …

“Design is the visible soul of intention.”

Look closely. This isn’t just a greenhouse, it’s a living metaphor. This stunning image comes from the Bombay Sapphire Distillery, where architect Thomas Heatherwick designed these botanical glasshouses as a celebration of transparency, creativity, and integration. It’s a place where nature, industry, and artistry are not separated but intertwined. What strikes me most is how this space invites flow. The curves aren’t just aesthetic; they evoke movement,…