The Case for OptimismComments 0

BusinessWeek has launched a new editorial “area” entitled “The Case for Optimism“. If the economy has you down, hang out there more often.

Innovating through Recession: When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Innovate. (Here’s how and why they win.)Comments 0

I wrote the following article to lend both inspiration and pragmatism to the current economic conditions. The evidence speaks for itself: there is no better time to innovate than now. If you’d like to learn what great innovators do in times of economic turbulence, I think you may enjoy the piece.

Reinventing SwitzerlandComments 0

I had the great pleasure of giving the keynote address for Switzerland’s “Vacation Day” in beautiful Lugano, Switzerland. This event was produced for the tourism industry of Switzerland and was attended by over 1,000 professionals in the travel and tourism industry as well as representatives of the Swiss government. If you’d like to see the talk, here it is.

Also, if you are interested in learning about the unique challenges of “innovating” in the context of positioning a nation for growth, you may wish to read this interview with Jean-François Roth, former Swiss parliamentarian and senator (published by Swissinfo).

FAST COMPANY’s “Smart Books for 2008″Comments 0

Thank you to FAST COMPANY magazine for selecting THE RIDDLE as one of its “smart books for 2008″.�

Do you have your best ideas in the shower?Comments 0

Thank you to the leadership team of InNUvation for inviting me to speak at their event last night at the release of my newest book (which hits stores this week), THE RIDDLE: Where Ideas Come From and How to Have Better Ones (Jossey-Bass/Wiley).   

If you’d like to learn more about our discussions at the event - including tricks used by those in attendance to inspire Eureka moments (including why we tend to have our best ideas while taking a shower, stuck in traffic, and daydreaming) - click over to Sid Shaw’s blog at Rawthink.

p.s. photo courtesy of inventiveparent.com…a great idea: a shower head for kids!

Breakthrough Ideas for 2007Comments 0

Harvard Business Review recently published its Top 20 Breakthrough Ideas for 2007 Coming in at # 5…”hope as a leadership tool”.

TV has Oprah. Book publishing has Dr. John Maxwell.Comments 0

James Kouzes, Chairman Emeritus of The Tom Peters Company, may have said it best, “John Maxwell is a phenomenon!” 

Very few people have done for the field of leadership (say nothing of book publishing) what Dr. John Maxwell has done.  The greatest testament to his contributions are these:  1)  he’s sold over 12 million books on leadership-related topics and 2) through his companies, he has trained over 1 million leaders worldwide.  So, when one discovers (as I did this Labor Day weekend) that John has read, enjoyed, and reviewed your book…well, it is humbling to say the least.  Thanks John!  Read John’s review of HOPE.  And, while you’re there, sign-up for his newsletter.  It’s a breathe of fresh air that hits your inbox twice a month.  Read the rest of this entry »

Hearts of Hope GalaComments 0

For all of you who purchased books at the HOPE launch party a few weeks ago in downtown Chicago, thank you!  If you recall, all proceeds were donated to The Children’s Memorial Foundation for Education and Research.  The foundation has recently found a home for the signed telescope displayed at the party.  It has been recently donated to the Page Nicole White Pediatric Cancer Foundation.  It will be auctioned off at the “Hearts of Hope” gala.

Here are a few of the folks who contributed signatures to the telescope - who are also profiled in the book.

Read the rest of this entry »