In November of 1990, a new sculpture titled “Kryptos” was installed on the grounds of CIA headquarters in Langley. Created by artist Jim Sanborn, the 12 block of copper is covered with 1,800 characters carved in four sections. Each section is written in a different code and, together, they form a riddle. It took eight … Continue reading Cracking the Code
Behind Closed Doors
Over the weekend I ran into a former coworker, Greg. It’s been close to 20 years since we worked together, and we spent several minutes catching up. We talked about our current work situations, gave family updates, and laughed about the old times. We eventually parted ways, promising to do a better job of keeping … Continue reading Behind Closed Doors
Leading Questions
Leaders ask questions. Leading managers ask questions to help them guide the team to grow. Leading service providers ask questions to help them solve customer problems. Leading salespeople ask questions to help them meet unspoken needs. We should all be asking more (and better) questions, but we don’t. They may enter our mind, but we … Continue reading Leading Questions
What Time is It?
What if you could do away with deadlines, appointments, and alarms? What if you could do what you want, when you want to do it? Would you be more productive since you’d be able to focus energy on the truly important things? Or would your output plummet, giving way to procrastination? That’s the question facing … Continue reading What Time is It?
Listening to Your Gut
Last month, a Pittsburgh woman (her name has not been released), discovered an abusive ex-boyfriend hiding in her attic. She lived in the house with her two daughters and began to notice small things out of place. She thought about calling the police, but thought she would sound crazy for reporting a “blanket in my … Continue reading Listening to Your Gut
Be the Spark
As far back as 577 AD, primitive matches were used to start fires in China. In 1805, Jean Chancel developed the first self-igniting match. His required dipping the match head into sulfuric acid though, and never really caught on. Like so many great ideas, the common friction match was discovered by accident. English chemist John … Continue reading Be the Spark
The Three-Legged Leader
Some of my favorite memories from childhood revolve around Field Day. Each spring, as the weather began to warm up, officials at my elementary school would announce a date for the event and the entire student body would erupt in cheers. Field Day meant class was cancelled so that everyone could spend the day outside … Continue reading The Three-Legged Leader
Nothing But Net
Sports have always provided excellent metaphors for success, and at this time of year college basketball takes center stage. Here in Lubbock, we’re celebrating the new NCAA Division II Women’s National Champions (Lubbock Christian University’s Lady Chaparrals), and the first trip ever to the Division I Final Four for the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Obviously, … Continue reading Nothing But Net
A Slap in the Face
With March Madness in full swing, much of the country has basketball fever. Television schedules have been adjusted to account for viewership pulled to the college games, and other sports take a back seat this time every year. For those who aren’t fans of basketball, it can be hard to find something other than reruns … Continue reading A Slap in the Face
Turning a Blind Eye
During the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, part of the French Revolutionary War, British Naval forces descended on Denmark. The intent was to prevent the Danish fleet from joining with ships from Russia, Sweden, and Denmark. Britain maintained a superior navy, but a newly formed alliance of these four countries, called the League of Armed … Continue reading Turning a Blind Eye
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