Emilio J. Castilla’s recent book, The Meritocracy Paradox: Where Talent Management Strategies Go Wrong and How to Fix Them (2025) will likely fall victim to the anti-woke book-ban with the current administration's exclusive focus on “merit.” What’s wrong with merit hard work and talent? Nothing. Why is this book a chopping block? Because it focuses [...]
You used the term “And-vantage” in the presentation. What did you mean? Leveraging polarities increases speed, sustainability, and sustained success of change. Supplementing Or-thinking with And-thinking expands our ability to see the whole picture, work collaboratively, and even love more fully (Remember the two sayings: “Seeing is Relieving” and “Seeing is Loving”). We already have [...]
One of my greatest professional honors since 2014 has been serving as an Adjunct Faculty member in the KEY Executive Leadership Program at American University—a program dedicated to developing senior-level public sector leaders. I deeply admire these leaders for the depth and breadth of their mission-driven dedication to people in general, and to our country [...]
Among Among many clients lately, the topic of TRUST has been top of mind. So, I've found myself dredging years of presentations, articles, and Polarity Maps on the topic. There’s enough for a whole series of “Cliff’sNOTES” on the topic, but I leave for China for a full month in a few days, so there [...]
Like an electric shock -- that line grabbed me even more than other great ones. After I shared the “Light in My Darkness” Cliff’sNOTE, with my sister Lori, she sent me a note saying it reminded her of Maria Papova’s 20 Ways to Matter. To me, this is another wonderful example of a piece that [...]
“Are you O.K.?” Was the follow-up text from a friend after I’d been passionately venting with close friends last weekend about "stuff" happening in the United States. "No" would have been the honest answer but as randomness/fate/tao/whatever often works – while doom-scrolling I came across a quote I love and use frequently in my work, [...]
by Cliff Kayser, IDG Ambassador, Aconcagua Cohort NOTE: ChatGPT often uses the INCORRECT versions shown below. TIP #1: Use “And” Instead of “VS” It’s easy to fall into the habit of using “VS” between the two poles of a polarity—but this creates confusion because a polarity requires both poles. Using “VS” implies opposition and that [...]
In "Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI," historian Yuval Noah Harari examines the power of information networks in shaping our shared human narratives and their impact on civilization and culture. I admire his ability to implicitly discuss polarity tensions in such sensible and accessible ways. Additionally, it can [...]
A few days ago, a friend, who is also an Executive Coach, talked me off the ledge when I shared how frustrated I was about what’s happening in America, and the world. A few days later I received a book in the mail: "Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, [...]
And just like that, AI Coaches share space with Human Coaches -- and always will. If you haven't tasted from the broad menu of AI Coach options that vary greatly in quality, here's a primer. Think about your last back-and-forth experience with a customer service chatbot, but instead of discussing a refund on a recent [...]