My grandmother, Iginia Alamo, once befriended a woman intent on ousting my grandfather, Antonio Alamo, from the Venezuelan government. My grandfather didn’t object to the friendship. In fact, he instigated it. The family foe and friend, Maria Josefa Aristeguieta, had recently co-led a nearly successful…
The United States is entering 2024 under a pall of loneliness. Many citizens feel that no one cares enough about them to properly see who they are. While the percentage of Americans suffering from loneliness has dropped since the lockdown-era spike, the long-term trend is…
A summary of America’s 2023 racial-justice developments might read like this: – Hate crime increased. – Topics related to racism were censored out of K-12 and college classrooms. – Politicians attacked corporate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. – Federal courts and state governments struck down or crippled long-time programs…
I recently noticed that the word avoidance is a mishmash of three words: A void dance. It’s an apt metaphor for the clumsy way many of us cope with the purpose void that sullies our work. We ignore this gaping deficiency and focus on performing…
You’re likely aware that U.S. boycotts recently depressed Anheuser-Busch’s US sales by an estimated 14% and Target’s by about 5%. If you’re a business leader, whether for a small or large company, this might alarm you. After all, the boycott-inciting offense is so commonplace that your…
Two sales representatives, Lynn and Jane, go out to lunch. Jane remarks that the young server’s scowl is frightening and customer service is poor. Lynn suggests that maybe he’s exhausted from working several jobs, afflicted by back pain or grieving the death of a pet.…
If like most workers you pine for more purpose in your job, consider the five New Year’s resolutions that follow. Don’t be fooled by how simple they seem. We humans are so sensitized to meaningful acts that even small acts of contribution ignite a sense of purpose…
I’m honored that David Hessekiel interviewed me for Forbes about ESG and purpose. He asked the hard questions many executives ask: What the heck is ESG? What’s the difference between ESG and purpose? Will the anti-ESG forces prevail? Why or why not? I hope it…
That act of kindness you think is insignificant likely does more good than you know. We tend to think that expressing empathy to the receptionist whose arm is in a cast, for example, is frivolous. We expect him to enjoy our nicety mildly and momentarily,…
“If they can get away with it, every employee will act unethically to benefit themselves,” said Zach, a member of a team I advise. In response, his four colleagues at the table rebutted him eloquently. They told compelling stories of benevolence that made all present…
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