The second chance.
People cannot count on second chances, and neither can an organization. It is risky to assume that factors outside its control will eventually change or that miscalculations will naturally reverse over the course of time. It is risky to hold on and wait for things to turn just because there is a legacy of success. If there is a way to navigate to a second chance, it is through fearless yet ethical management -- using facts unearthed and well told, invoked directly from the organization's purpose and values, with strategy adjusted to actual opportunity. The tasks include distinguishing between reality and conjecture; propelling past denial confidently, efficiently addressing problems as well as pivoting into new openings; and driving into the market potential through innovative performance. Just like the folks who chase the second chance and get it.
El Rio de Luz (The River of Light.) Frederic Edwin Church. 1877. Oil on canvas. Gift of the Avalon Foundation. National Gallery of Art.
Leading through uncertainty
Ghita Filali. Five tips for taking intentional action: let emotions have a seat at the table; shift from reaction to creation; disrupt the addiction to certainty; balance operations with strategy; and lead others by empowering, not rescuing.
Preston Thorpe is a software engineer at a San Francisco startup — he’s also serving his 11th year in prison
Amanda Silberling. ...he has worked full-time from his cell at a venture-funded, San Francisco-based startup since May. ... Thorpe is part of an experimental program in the Maine state prison system that allows incarcerated people to work remote jobs from custody. Though unconventional, these opportunities have proven immensely rehabilitative.
Roanoke's Arthur Taubman
Samantha Verrelli. In 1932, Arthur Taubman purchased three failing auto parts stores in Roanoke, pawning off personal items to do so. These stores became Advance Auto Parts, which today is a publicly traded company with more than 4,200 locations. ... The Taubman name is easily recognizable in Roanoke, with the city’s art museum carrying the family name, as will Carilion Clinic’s new cancer center, to which the Taubman family donated $25 million.
Eleven fashion designers that are defining American style in 2025
Jack Moss. Among a vanguard of US creatives is a raft of fashion designers – from those working at heritage brands to up-and-coming rising stars – who are creating collections that draw on the long-held traditions of American sportswear. Namely: a mood of ease and pragmatism, interpreted through a multitude of cultural perspectives and design philosophies (as well as the occasional shot of pure Hollywood glamour).
Seven simple ways to be a bit happier each day
Richard Sima. Just a few minutes a day of joy snacking can have a big impact on your life, research shows.