Twenty seconds before I was about to get up to pitch to a crowd of two hundred people, one of the organizers of the pitch competition whispered to me "your shirt's on backwards, I can see your label." Twenty seconds and I needed to make a decision – flip my shirt around in front of the crowd, or keep it on and take the chance that it will distract me during my sixty second slot. I made a decision: hoping that the dashing master of ceremonies, bright lights and general excitem

If you look for the definition of the word TEAM in your browser, chances you will come across something like this: TEAM noun a group of players forming one side in a competitive game or sport. verb come together as a team to achieve a common goal. The question of the aim of a team has been on my mind lately. I have managed large teams and small teams. I have managed global teams and local teams. I have been on a "team of one", where all the roles and responsibilities were spl

Professional rivalry is a real thing. And it isn't a bad thing. Rivalry and competition give an edge — they push you to be the best that you can be, they make you think strategically, they force you to see the bigger picture. Very importantly, they give you perspective on where you are in relation to the people around you and in terms of your distance from your goals. So here's a scenario for you: the other day I participated in a contest of sorts: different people pitching t

An often debated philosophical dilemma is one that sets the common good against individual interests. There are philosophers like Socrates who argue that the society's interest is the greater good and that it should always trump individual interests. There are other philosophers, like Aristotle, who argue that 'it depends' on what the greater good is, and that individual interests should never be completely thrust aside. So here's a real-life dilemma that I have adapted. One