Category: Education

Categories
Education Innovation Reading TED

Latest Read: Quiet

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain. Susan’s efforts in revealing insights addressing introverts are remarkable. In the age of COVID, Quiet offers all readers a refreshing though process to strengthen ourselves and all of our relationships by better understanding introverts. At the same time, it may be indeed revealing that readers are rediscovering their own quiet demeanor while working at home.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain

Susan’s stories of Rosa Parks, Dr. Seuss, Steve Wozniak, and Eleanor Roosevelt are certainly well researched and serve as insightful lessons to their daily behaviors.

As a result, one of the strong and revealing topics across the opening three chapters address how leadership is impacted by extroverts. However, this is sometimes not for the better.

Traditionally extroverts certainly carry a group’s ideas. Susan is proving this to be a wrong approach.

Any unchallenging loud voice in the room seemingly is ‘defining’ a project or sales ‘success’ for the gorup, can certainly be where the train goes off the tracks. When this is a CEO or senior Vice President there can be uphill challenges to organizational success. An introvert attending a Tony Robbins event was interesting to say the least as Susan attests.

Continue reading “Latest Read: Quiet”
Categories
Education Innovation Reading

Noise Preview

Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment by noted authors Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony, and Cass Sunstein. This upcoming release certainly reminds me that I first read Daniel’s Thinking, Fast and Slow six years ago. This Noise preview is certainly a book everyone should read. I have found many references to Daniel’s work across a series of books that I have been reading over the last couple of years. I attribute the same embrace of Cass’ deeply insightful book Nudge, which I re-read just last year. Above all, they make a powerful 1-2 punch in Behavioral Science.

Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment by Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony, Cass R. Sunstein

Noise looks to be just as compelling as the following premise: Consider two doctors in the same city giving the same patients different diagnoses. Additionally, consider two judges working in the same courthouse giving different sentences to people for the same crime. In addition, consider the impact of different food inspectors providing different ratings to indistinguishable restaurants.
In contrast, consider that the same doctor, the same judge, the same inspector, makes different decisions in the morning versus the late afternoon, or decisions made on Mondays versus Wednesdays. Following these examples of ‘noise’ the authors will reveal, a variability in judgments that should be identical.

I am very much looking forward to learning how noise makes impactful contributions to errors in literally all fields. Obviously ‘noise’ is located wherever people make decisions. Yet it appears most if not all of us are somewhat oblivious to the role of chance in our decisions. I certainly cannot wait to read this book!

2021 DLD Conference | Book Talk: Noise – A Flaw in Human Judgment

Categories
Education Reading

Latest Read: The Last American Hero

The Last American Hero: The Remarkable Life of John Glenn by Alice George. What can you say to a boy growing up in Ohio during the 1970s about astronaut John Glenn? Back then the word ‘hero’ was simply enough.

The Last American Hero: The Remarkable Life of John Glenn

I can recall in grade school learning about John Glenn becoming the first American astronaut to circle the globe. The country was locked into a space race with the Soviet Union.

Recalling Neil Armstrong, another Ohio boy growing up just 80 miles south of my hometown would land on the moon. Glenn and Armstrong proved to me growing up in Ohio you could change the world.

The early life of John Glenn is interesting. His roots providing him with support and curiosity that served him well in life.

Continue reading “Latest Read: The Last American Hero”
Categories
Education Milwaukee Reading

Latest Read: When Pride Still Mattered

When Pride Still Mattered: A Life Of Vince Lombardi by David Maraniss. The writing talent of David Maraniss has aged very well over the last twenty years. This is a very amazing story of Lombardi’s life surrounding coaching and leadership. Yet, Vince’s complex life will certainly surprise new readers today.

When Pride Still Mattered : A Life Of Vince Lombardi by David Maraniss

David tells a hard truth. It is striking to learn that Vince was distant to his wife and children. Today no NFL coach could get away with repeated public “Shut up Marie!” derogatory statements to his wife. Good grief I did not see that coming. Yet distant relationships with his son and daughter are also a surprise when Vince was so dedicated to his players.

David traces Vince’s life from birth to death. His early years will impress many football fans especially playing New York City high schools games against Sid Luckman. Vince was also attending college with Wellington Mara, another interesting element for fans of the game. At the same time his college life crisscrossed meetings with Frank Sinatra.

The writing throughout this book is powerful and extremely detailed. Maybe to a fault. Lombardi attended a catholic mass daily. His faith is a key element of Lombardi’s life. Author Terry Tibbetts writing A Spartan Game The Life and Loss of Don Holleder acknowledges Lombardi kept in his bible the prayer card for Don Holleder. A junior All-American coached by Lombardi at West Point, Major Holleder died during the Battle of Ong Thanh.

Similarly Lombardi kept prayer cards for two West Point quarterbacks killed during the Korean War. Most assuredly, Lombardi never forgot their sacrifices. There is much to Lombardi’s complex life and David Maraniss captures it all perfectly. Growing up in Ohio, the status of “Saint Lombardi” did not resonate for me. Only after 1997 was his lasting impact first recognized across the Wisconsin press and NFL media publications.

Continue reading “Latest Read: When Pride Still Mattered”
Categories
Education Reading

HBO’s Chernobyl

In 2019 HBO released Chernobyl, a five part mini series addressing the nuclear disaster, cover-up, and the immediate impact on citizens living in the adjacent town of Pripyat. Today the series is available on HBO Max, Amazon Prime, and Netflix.

Surprisingly this series gained widespread critical acclaim. Receiving 19 nominations, Chernobyl won Emmy awards for Outstanding Limited Series, Outstanding Directing, and Outstanding Writing. At the same time the series won Golden Globe awards for Best Miniseries or Television Film. In addition, actor Stellan Skarsgård won Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film. Likewise, Jared Harris won Best Actor at the British Academy Awards.

This is certainly a powerful series. This event, over 30 years ago has faded from our memory. Occurring prior to the internet, webpages, and social media Chernobyl has moved it to the background of history. Perhaps the best selling point for watching.

Continue reading “HBO’s Chernobyl”