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"In Contribution, there is no better." Love that line, Garr. Ben Zander is brilliant.

Commented Jun 23, 2015 on Contribution: the key to authenticity, engagement, & meaning at Presentation Zen

I suppose it's all about where we put our awareness, Garr. My daily mind-quieting has paid dividends over time and in subtle ways. It is mostly noticeable in retrospect. Nice interview.

Commented Jan 15, 2014 on A conversation with Nancy Duarte in Silicon Valley at Presentation Zen

Garr... Sometimes, the right thing comes at the right time. Both of these talks hit home. Telling your own story needs to be about contribution. I needed these talks today...and got them. Mike

Commented Nov 4, 2013 on On sharing your own personal story to make a difference at Presentation Zen

Wow, Bob...this nails it! After all of the rhetoric and words and books written.......the final result, rubber to the road, is what matters. Alan Mulally of Ford comes to mind...his vision is clear and actionable. He leads with a degree of humility...the knows he is nothing more than a facilitator. I watched his interaction with Stanford students; he is a down-to-earth leader....

Commented Mar 24, 2012 on Hollow Visions, Bullshit, Lies and Leadership Vs. Management at Bob Sutton

Garr....I've seen some of these, yet I was compelled to watch them again. Great selection, and I love Dr. Tae. The work Seth did is new to me. "making the frying pan smaller lowers the size of the fish you need to catch". I will use that one!

Commented Mar 19, 2012 on Videos to help you rethink education, learning, & school at Presentation Zen

Life changes, priorities change, Garr. And family is everything, my friend. Your future posts and conversations may not be as plentiful, but may be richer because of your new insights.

Commented Mar 10, 2012 on Slowing down to appreciate what's important at Presentation Zen

The "less is better" mentality is a difficult theme for many people to grasp. But it applies well to presentations.

Commented Dec 31, 2011 on Progress and the intentional selection of less at Presentation Zen

That 6+ minute piece says it all, Garr. Steve was an artist; one of the greats of our time.

Commented Oct 9, 2011 on Steve Jobs on marketing & identifying your core values at Presentation Zen

Very informative post, Garr. We can learn from their tenacity!

Commented Mar 24, 2011 on Fall down seven times, get up eight: The power of Japanese resilience at Presentation Zen

I'll check out "The Science of Fear: How the Culture of Fear Manipulates Your Brain". It is a shame that in the US, people are afraid of touching, especially in the school setting. The media blows things out of proportion so much! It seems we have forgotten that all of us are in this together. My thoughts are with the Japanese people during this time of devastation. Things like this affect everyone in the world. The US Senator in my area (Robert Casey) is involved with such foreigh affairs. He is pressing for US help. We must step up!

Commented Mar 12, 2011 on The need for participation, compassion, & community in the classroom (and lecture hall) at Presentation Zen

Thank you so much for putting those video’s on your blog. The priorities in that classroom are right on and should become part of the culture in all schools. I noticed the teacher touching the students in a genuine caring fashion. In the US, that would be frowned upon. Looking out for one another isn’t emphasized here in the US. The part on bullying provides a simple and a workable solution to the problem which is very big here in the states. Our children are encouraged to be selfish and irresponsible, and those traits are demonstrated in many of the adults who teach them. The most important idea I got from those videos is integrity. I know how important honor, integrity and good character are to the Japanese. Americans think of the Japanese as regimented and shallow. Actually the exact opposite is true. Again, watching the videos and reading your comments touched my heart. These kids were being taught the value of being genuine! Genuine makes all the difference.

Commented Mar 10, 2011 on The need for participation, compassion, & community in the classroom (and lecture hall) at Presentation Zen

Out of control ego? Happens all too much, Bob.

Commented Jan 18, 2011 on Meetings and Bosshole Behavior: A Classic Case at Bob Sutton

Very powerful video! So important to step back and try to understand the shift in society caused by technology. This economic downturn is a reset, not a cyclical recession. New economic indicators will emerge from this; they will be based less on consumption and more on qualitative and collaborative metrics.

Commented Jan 16, 2011 on Rachel Botsman's cool TED video: Getting rid of our addiction to things at The Leader's Guide to Radical Management

Bob...I read his galley copy on a Saturday morning, and I couldn't agree more! Great book....

Commented Dec 17, 2010 on Matt May's Shibumi Strategy: What a Lovely Book! at Bob Sutton

Your words are spot-on, Garr! I see an example of interactive teaching in math classes at the Tech school where I work. Every class has interactive elements, and ths students learn.

Commented Nov 28, 2010 on The need for connection & engagement in education at Presentation Zen

We encourage kids to get "the right answer". Instead, we need to encourage them to continue asking the right questions. School should be the place where mistakes are built upon, not frowned upon! I look forward to your next post.

Commented Nov 11, 2010 on What children teach us about freedom and naturalness at Presentation Zen

What an outstanding article, and just what I needed today, Garr.....Thank you!!!!!

Commented Oct 28, 2010 on Lessons from the world of Aikido at Presentation Zen

Given a review like that, I linked and grabbed a kindle copy, Bob....

Commented Aug 28, 2010 on Managing Leadership: An Unappreciated Gem at Bob Sutton

Enormous transformation! His old way contained paragraphs.......stilltoo many people using templates. Better to use nothing at all!!

Commented Aug 13, 2010 on The visual transformation of Bill Gates the presenter at Presentation Zen

Check out this link for a perspective on career paths: http://freshperspectives.typepad.com/education_perspectives/2010/07/leveraging-career-technical-education.html

Commented Jul 28, 2010 on 5MK Quote of the Day at John Hope Bryant

Real words of widsom, Garr. Perfect timing for me...just what I needed.

Commented Jul 23, 2010 on Be like the bamboo: 7 lessons from the Japanese forest at Presentation Zen

A story on this subject, Bob... We were having a meeting about a proposed building project for a career school. I was giving a presentation, and this was our opportunity to rehearse our presentations beforehand. I was to explain the methodology of career ed in a simple process; tell me, show me, let me do it. During the mock presentation, I said "Tell me, show me, do me.....what the fuck did I just say!" Everyone in the room lost it; one guy had to leave the room in laughter..sometimes the f-word has wonderful impact. My use of the word wasn't strategic, it was a slip. Effective anyway......

Commented Jul 3, 2010 on Podcast at HBR: The subtleties of strategic swearing at Bob Sutton

"The Power of Pull" was indeed a compelling book! Quite a different mindset....

Commented Jun 13, 2010 on From Push to Pull: An Exciting New Book by John Hagel, John Seely Brown & Lang Davison at The Leader's Guide to Radical Management

My wife used the exact same line when passing a construction site. It definately works!!

Commented Mar 1, 2010 on The Best Asshole Buster Story I've Heard In a Long Time at Bob Sutton

Mike Sporer is now following The Typepad Team

Mar 1, 2010