Winter has come visiting, dressed in all its pale and sparkling finery, and it’s brought the same gift for many people: a cold.

For the past four years, I’ve been motorcycling in the Colorado mountains, riding gravel roads and trails. It’s an opportunity to spend time alone, immersing myself in the beauty of nature. It’s also a chance to experience the satisfaction of improving my technique.

Nestled on the banks of the Danube River in Hungary, Visegrád is a quaint town of less than 2,000 residents, yet it carries a weight of historical significance that resonates far beyond its small size. As I ventured there this summer, I was transported into a world that seemed untouched by time.

My wife and I followed the cobblestone road walking back home from dinner to our house in Begur, Spain, a lovely medieval stone village just north of Barcelona on the Mediterranean coast. Along the way, the lights of the local pharmacy caught our eye, and we decided to make a pit stop

I met Sven while dining at a nice, cozy chalet in Zermatt. A friendly conversation led to us skiing together the next day. During our first run together, it was clear that Sven was quite a great skier, and he considered himself deservedly so.

I was exhausted after a long day and my body and mind felt heavy. I could not wait to just finish my dinner and get home for a good night’s rest. As I waited for my check at the local hotel bar, a transformational experience happened right before my eyes.

Yes, they are still here and perhaps more dangerous than ever in our current business environment given the remarkable recent advances in AI and other technology areas!!! As I wrote some time ago, nothing sucks the blood out of a great idea faster than the dreaded Yabut.

Steve G. was a neighbor in my office building, a practicing attorney whose schedule was packed to overflowing. I would often run into him while grabbing coffee in the cafeteria but didn’t know much about him.

We were ready to board a flight from Barcelona to London Heathrow that was scheduled to depart in 35 minutes. Just then, the captain stepped off the plane, walked right past the flight crew and approached us.

The conference room was emotionally charged with a couple of executives vehemently arguing their point of view, contradicting what they had previously agreed, “throwing each other under the bus” to avoid blame in front of the boss. Voices rose, fists slammed the table and fingers pointed accusingly. It had gotten personal.

We’ve been reading for years about how the pace of change is accelerating, creating mounting challenges for businesses to stay flexible, agile, and relevant. Now experts predict even greater changes, both good and bad, as generative artificial intelligence advances.

A tree in Colorado might seem like an unlikely model for running a business, but nature always has lessons to offer us.

When you’re being natural, you’re amazingly engaging. If you practice too much or are too professional, your audience will be bored and you will lose them before you even begin.

Executives and managers today are increasingly acknowledging that laughter is good, not only for personal health and well-being, but for career success and overall workplace wellness as well.

As authors on leadership development have noted through the years, listening is not just a nice thing to do… it’s essential!