Author: Michael Metzger

Albert Einstein said things should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. Simon Sinek has a simple idea. Great individuals and organizations start with why. He’s right. But is his image, his metaphor, a bit too simple?

In the mid-1990s, USA Today’s readership was declining. It rebounded when the company became ambidextrous. Today, readership is declining. USA Today’s ups and downs raises a few questions. Why are ambidextrous organizations so rare in Western cultures? And why does right-handed planning generally prevail in the West?

Thanksgiving is a good opportunity to silence the silent artillery. In January of 1838, Abraham Lincoln addressed the Young Men’s Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois. His subject was the perpetuation of our political institutions. Recalling America’s founding, Lincoln feared “the scenes of the revolution” had faded. The “silent artillery of time” had done its job. There…

“Fiscal cliff” is the wrong metaphor. There are good metaphors and bad metaphors. “Fiscal cliff” isn’t a good one. It doesn’t capture reality. For instance, it doesn’t depict how Congress has, to date, tried to cut the national debt. The better metaphor might be flipping the bird.

“Are you better off than you were four years ago?” In the annals of political campaigns, Ronald Reagan’s question is considered brilliant. Americans have heard variations of it ever since from candidates in both parties. It works because it’s very American. But that’s exactly why it’s the wrong kind of question.

“You must be feeling a bit like Alice, tumbling down the rabbit hole?” “You could say that,” Neo replied. Then came Morpheus’ offer: “You take the blue pill and the story ends. You take the red pill and you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes.” The offer still stands….

Last week we played a tune that goes something like this: The Enlightenment is exhausted – and exhausting us. Many recognize it but want more lyrics – songs, books, and films that decry Descartes. Here are the first few in a long list.

You take the red pill and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes. Fans of “The Matrix” remember Morpheus’ unnerving invitation. Now the film’s scriptwriters go deeper down the rabbit-hole. “Cloud Atlas” opens in theaters October 26. Same tune, different lyrics. But who is most likely to recognize the tune? And who knows the…

When you Google “biggest college football upsets,” Appalachian State upending Michigan is at or near the top of the list. It’s the old adage – the bigger they are, the harder they fall. This axiom also explains the two things that fell hard in the fall – and why recovering them will require a right-brain…

Serious players don’t enjoy playing half-court games. Basketball is designed to be played full-court. The NBA couldn’t sell tickets to half-court games. Yet this is how many businesspeople do business. They play a half-court game. Neuroimaging reveals they’re not serious about doing good business.