Parents do a lot of things. We try to teach our children values. We provide them with home, clothing, education, and more. We protect them whenever necessary and possible and – often much harder – try to let them to struggle when that seems more important. And, of course and most importantly, we love them…deeply, truly, more than they will ever know until they have children of their own. But I wonder if another thing we do – whether we know it or not – is also frame the world for them, provide them with a sense of what is possible and real, and prepare them to accept — or reject — the terms of the world in which they...

Over the last two days, I’ve written posts about leadership and change – in particular, about transformative change and the kind of leadership necessary to engage in the disruption that is part and parcel of transformation. I think all of this is true and important and valuable and that this kind of leadership is, frankly, quite rare. But I also think there’s a danger in focusing on the rare leader who can inspire transformative change. Or, indeed, focusing on any element of leadership that seems rare and unique. Because the thing is, each of us is called to lead every day. More than that, each of us can and does lead already,...

This is another fantastic commercial that represents an emerging approach to advertising that seeks to empower its audience. It’s something of a counter-cultural approach in that most of advertising for nearly the last century has been dominated by what Jonah Sachs calls “inadequacy marketing.” Such marketing seeks to create in you a sense of lack – the belief that you do not have enough, even that you are not enough – in order to promise you that if you purchase the product being advertised you will not experience that sense of lack any longer. In his wonderful book, Winning the Story Wars, Sachs describes the history of this...

Ever wonder what to get that special someone for Christmas? Especially when that special someone doesn’t particularly need anything? In that case, let Kid President help you out. I’m a huge fan of Kid President and have been enchanted with the story of his struggles, perseverance, and spirit. Today, given that we’re just a little more than 10 days from Christmas, I thought I’d offer you his words of wisdom on giving things that really matter – hugs, love, time, the chance to do something awesome, and the opportunity to make the world a better place. It’s this last one that Kid President gives most of his time to, inviting you to...

Six and a half minutes. That’s all it will take for you to watch this remarkably inspiring TED Talk of one person’s sensitivity and vision that became a gift first to her neighborhood and then to neighborhoods throughout the world. Candy Chang is what I would describe as a community artist. She is, indeed, an artist…and a designer…and an urban planner. But what strikes me most about her is that she takes all these varied skills and uses them to offer gifts to her community, to invite her community to understand, refine, and claim their identity more fully. In this sense, then, she is an artist for her community, a public artist...