Doug Sundheim's Blog, page 8

An Extraordinary Book Party

Thank you Steven and Liz Edersheim for hosting an extraordinary book party for me Feb 21st in New York City.  The feeling of love and support from everyone in attendance was wonderful.  It’s something I’ll never forget. One of my favorite shots of the night was Frances Hesselbein embracing the book with a proud grin ... Read More

How to WOW Your Boss: 4 Miracle Questions

I don’t know your boss, but I know exactly what he/she wants from you—to make life easier.  There’s nothing a boss hates more than to feel as though an employee is one more thing that she has to manage.  One of the simplest ways to get “out in front” of your boss is to proactively ... Read More

2am Advice on Writing a Book

Six months after finishing my book I’m finally done cleaning up the piles of clutter that the process left behind.  It was a flashback-triggering exercise that reminded me of just how many ideas I had wrestled with, many of which never made it into the book. At the bottom of the last pile, I found ... Read More

Innovation Starts with You

I recently published my first blog post for Harvard Business Review - To Increase Innovation, Take the Sting Out of Failure. It was nice to see it resonated with readers. One of the clear themes I noticed in the comments was – I’m a believer! But I’m not the problem. The rest of my organization is. How do I get the rest of my organization to support smart failures?

True Creation Takes Guts

A few weeks ago I went to a Ray LaMontagne concert at The Capitol Theater in Port Chester, New York. His soulful, authentic folk/rock style always moves me. This night was no different. At one point I found a tear running down my cheek. I couldn’t even tell you why. Something just struck a chord in me. Interestingly, on this night the most moving part of the show wasn’t LaMontagne’s music. It was something he said between songs...

Playing It Safe Is Dangerous

“To dare is to momentarily lose one’s footing. But not to dare is to lose one’s self.” –Soren Kierkegaard What do you want to say when you look back on your life? I followed my gut or I followed the masses? I gave it my all or I gave up too easy? I played to ... Read More

What Everyone Really Wants

There are few feelings in this world as fulfilling as a sense of mastery.  It’s the feeling of putting your heart and soul into something.  Failing and learning.  Then trying again with a more nuanced understanding of the forces at play.  Failing and learning again.  Then finally and eventually—sometimes weeks, months, or even years later—“getting ... Read More

Inspired by Risk Takers

Over the past 2 years, I’ve taken a big risk.  I’ve spent close to 3000 hours researching and writing a book about risk taking.  Thankfully, the writing part is over and my book, Taking Smart Risks, is launching in January. I say it was a risk because at many points in the process I wished ... Read More

Honesty Brings Power

Whenever you feel a loss of power and effectiveness in your life – a.k.a. stuck – there’s a good chance it’s because you’re not being honest with yourself. Meaning there’s a good chance you’re not acknowledging your true feelings – your fears, struggles, confusion, hopes & dreams. Now you’re probably not doing it for a lot of good reasons. That sort of honesty can be uncomfortable...

All Great Ideas Start Half-Baked

You've got wonderful thoughts in your head - big thoughts, passionate thoughts, thoughts that make you come alive when you think about them. We all do. These are our lifeblood - where we find meaning and purpose. One of the challenges we all face is bringing these thoughts to the light of day. Letting them leave the womb of our mind to face a world that can demand clarity that we don't yet have. This threat of exposure can give us pause.