Taking a sabbatical or career break can offer space for deep reflection, facing some hard truths, and discovering what it takes to truly grow from them. From June through December 2021, I did exactly that. It was a humbling, insightful, and life-changing journey. Before I share… Continue reading »
More than half of Americans work while on vacation. For physicians, the proportion is 7 out of 10. We might see these data and think, “Excellent! We are dedicated workers, striving to be our most productive. What’s wrong with that?” I learned what’s wrong with overwork the hard… Continue reading »
My calling compels me to think about what boys need most at all times. I am often asked “why an all-boys school?” or “what are the benefits of an all-boys school?” These are important questions to ponder, and at the heart of the answer is one simple yet profound concept:… Continue reading »
We humans are tempted to attack anything that appears foreign to us. As psychologist Abraham Maslow observed, when you have only a hammer, you’re inclined to look at everything as if it’s a nail. This unfortunate tendency often stems from a lack of nuance. Continue reading »
A fellow consultant recently said she sat through a public meeting full of nonsense. She didn’t raise her hand and point out the misguided assumptions. She wanted to leave but stayed. As we spoke she pondered why she neither left nor spoke up. Without fuss, we agreed it would have… Continue reading »
The New Year is the perfect time to reset priorities and refocus on implementing healthier habits. I believe this accessible and actionable list will be beneficial to fuel a healthy and prosperous 2023! 1) Master the Morning Routine – A positive and energizing morning routine sets the stage for a… Continue reading »
“Am I in the ‘right’ career?” It’s the question you struggle with each and every day. The good news is that you’re not alone. A recent poll found that approximately half (52%) of American workers are planning to make a career change this year. It’s no wonder that by age… Continue reading »
In a few days, most of us will sigh with relief that 2020 has passed. In early spring, we were introduced to COVID-19, changing the ways we work, play, learn, shop, worship, and celebrate holidays and milestone events. Many are suffering from the economic impact, not to mention the… Continue reading »
I have been speaking to students, parents, faculty, staff and administrators pretty much nonstop these days. Sometimes it is in Zoom webinars for teachers, teens or parents on how to stay grounded in all of the uncertainty, and sometimes it is in one-on-one coaching calls with educational leaders who are… Continue reading »
The best leaders have an innate ability to deal with whatever’s thrown at them. Here’s how to tell who’s got it and who doesn’t. Effective leaders must meet challenges and resolve them productively, day after day, for… Continue reading »
In 1973, John R. Coleman — then president of Haverford College and a respected labor economist — took a sabbatical. Over the course of those few months, Coleman dedicated his time to working menial, blue-collar jobs on an incognito basis. He made sandwiches, worked farm fields and dug ditches. It was part intellectual inquiry… Continue reading »
For those of us in the baby boomer generation, our legacy is not turning out the way we had planned. On our watch, the gap between rich and poor has turned into a chasm, our public schools have become re-segregated and our confidence in institutions is at an all-time low. Continue reading »
My husband jokes that when people find out I’m a psychologist, two things happen. Either they either close up and look nervously for an excuse—any excuse—to exit the conversation, or they open up and start sharing and sometimes over sharing…then, I sometimes joke that then I’m the one left looking… Continue reading »
I wasn’t one of those kids with a strong commandeering personality: the ones who seized what they wanted or could say “no” without a flicker of remorse or moment of doubt. I had a bubbly and adorable spirit, which was often confused for a strong personality. However, beneath my carefree… Continue reading »
The minute I appeared in the front hall of Kugayama School the receptionist got up from behind his desk, opened the glass door of the administrative offices and came out to greet me with a smile, a bow and “Ohayoo gozaimasu.” The feeling that I mattered was inescapable. All day… Continue reading »