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Ralph Simone
Attention Under Siege
There used to be a time when pumping gas was an opportunity for me to take a pause, a mindful moment, if you will. I would focus on my breath or simply count backwards from 100 to create a sort of mini-vacation for myself. Now, however, my attention is under siege at some gas stations…
The Inner Pilot Light
Have you ever had the pilot light of your stove or hot water tank go out? What did you do? If you’re like me, you initially called your father, but ultimately you lit a match to reignite the flame. This reminds me of a saying that a former boss used to share regarding problem solving,…
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Book Review
When asked the question, “If I only made the time to read one leadership book, what book would you recommend?” my response is unequivocally “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” This book, written in the late 1980s by Stephen Covey, is based on timeless principles and habits of effectiveness. Covey uses the 7 Habits…
The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working – A Book Review
If you’re feeling that your approach to life and work is missing something, this book may be for you. Whether you were influenced by the Protestant work ethic or a motivational phrase – remember “no pain, no gain”? – many of us are literally working ourselves to death and missing out on the experience of…
The 5 P’s of an Awakened Leader
We know that as the pace of change in the world accelerates, both the challenges and opportunities for leaders and organizations grow exponentially. We must rely less on past successes and what we know and more on being open, willing and prepared to continually learn, adapt and grow if we intend to remain relevant. A…
Who’s in Your Fab Five?
I believe we are the average or sum total of the five people we associate with most often. I once heard that your income is actually the average of your five closest friends. And while financial results are one way of measuring our well-being – although not the best – I am intrigued by this…
Either/Or Thinking
Forget “either/or” thinking. It is one of the biggest obstacles to creative- and opportunity-minded thinking. In a world and culture of almost unlimited options and choices, this artificial distinction of choosing one thing over another as if there is only one right choice can result in a missed – perhaps better – opportunity. While you…
Are You Making Too Much Meaning?
We are both blessed and cursed to be meaning-making machines. While being able to assume, generalize, and deduce allows us to function in the world, sometimes our need to make meaning causes limitations in ourselves, in others, and in our organizations. Our need to describe everything we encounter in a particular and specific way causes…
Take the 30-Day Challenge
Recently inspired by a client’s successful experiment, I became motivated to commit to a series of experiments around positive changes I intend to make in both my leadership and my life. First, I examined elements of my life I would like to change – obvious things like weight loss, regular exercise, and reading; from there…
What is Your Story
What is your story, the story of your life, the reason for your existence? As I sit quietly amidst the background chatter at Quincy Market on a sweltering summer day, I am realizing that our story is less about what we can tell, and more about what we will experience, share, and contribute. Many of…