Growing up, I spent my summers living and working in a hotel — a rundown, 36-room establishment in Wildwood, New Jersey (think Beverly Hillbillies, not Paris Hilton). My father bought it with no money down from a guy in a bar after the intended buyer suddenly died and the owner became desperate. I was six […]
Like many people, I have lately been using ChatGPT more and more. Don’t worry, I am aware of the downsides and am not letting my brain rot. But one thing it keeps highlighting to me is the quality (or, in some cases, lack thereof!) of my communication and how much the answer I get changes […]
As a student of leadership, my head has been spinning these past several months as I have watched the current occupant of the Oval Office “lead” our country. It’s been a real-time — not to mention horrifying — lesson in what NOT to do. But this is not a political post. It’s about what it […]
I hosted a dinner last week — a dozen Chief Medical Officers from a variety of biotech companies. I try to arrange these informal get-togethers quarterly in different cities, usually in a private space at a nice restaurant. Sometimes, everyone knows each other. Other times, no one does. This was a mix, so we began […]
I’m one of those lucky enough to have grown up with a lot of challenges — the opposite of a silver spoon, so I got a great start on understanding what is on the other side of hard things. Since then, I have had many more hard things: a failed start up, divorce, health concerns, […]
I spend a good part of my day talking to potential candidates. Potential, because these are not people who are actively looking for a job. They are top performers with the right blend of leadership experience and scientific depth — they are doing well where they are. And they receive several calls a week from […]
I had three conversations last week — all about problem employees who moved on and the positive outcomes that resulted after they were gone. One person finally fired a problem employee: they saw an immediate, positive shift in team morale. One person got rid of several through a RIF: they were amazed how much more […]
I was in Boston just after the new year walking my dog Muffin on the Esplanade, a beautiful park that runs along the Charles River. Muffin is always interested in the many geese who frequent the area and I do my best to steer her well clear of them. But on this day, having just […]