Reflections on talent and character
Read moreSometimes, when I go on a speaking tour, I can get a bit tired from talking and doing interviews all day. Since the hotels where I stay often have television from around the world, and since I rarely watch television at home, at times I simply relax in the evening by flipping through the stations, finding interesting stories and listening
The pope’s remarkable stories of inclusion continue, as he takes the church to the streets
Read moreOne of the themes of my coaching of leaders and in my seminars for the past 15 years has been the importance of telling stories of collective identity. These are the “stories of us” that define our group, by explaining who we are, what we stand for, how we see the future, and what we can accomplish together. A
John F. Kennedy and stories of identity
Read moreIn November, I did a quick stop-over in the US on my way back to Amsterdam from Argentina. Though I stayed less than a day in North America, the timing of my visit made it a fascinating one. When I landed in Atlanta, I realized that it was on the day that marked the 50th anniversary of the assassination
The remarkable stories of inclusion continue
Read moreAgain this week, I caught myself thinking that I was writing a bit too much about Pope Francis and that I should move on to some other topics, several of which have been floating around in my head, waiting patiently for their turn. It seems that each week, though, or even each day, this pope does something to surprise us,
Telling the stories of inclusion that convince those within
Read moreWhen one considers an enormous task such as implementing change in an organization as widespread and traditional as the Catholic Church, one wonders where to begin. While this pope has been highly effective at speaking directly to the common people, he also seems intent on engaging church insiders in his journey of reform. Consequently, Pope Francis’ saw one of his early
Pope Francis’ extraordinary stories of inclusion
Read moreOne of the remarkable elements I have seen in the pope’s stories for the church’s future is the extent to which they are stories of inclusion, stories in direct contrast with the Catholic Church that chose him, a church that had for many years grown increasingly insular, hierarchical, and inward-looking. What’s more, Francis’ views on what is wrong with the