“Get thicker skin!” “She/he must have thicker skin.” We hear these statements, and what rings through our mind is “toughen up.” There is truth in this thought. We do need to have thick skin in our life. Many things come at us – Making ends meet Surviving annual reviews Being told you are not good [...]
Spite or Solve: A Choice
by Jon Mertz on January 19, 2012 in Choices Explored
Arguments happen every day. Heated conversations take place all the time. Disagreements come into light between honorable people. Life is contentious at times. What do we do? Do we fight to the bitter end? Do we use unflattering names? Do we stall or filibuster until we get our way? Do we let problems fester until [...]
What Happens When the Pause Button Is Hit on Your Life?
by Jon Mertz on December 13, 2011 in Everyday Life
Our life has some momentum. The direction and intensity of the motion will vary by person, but we are people on the move. We choose. We act. We defer. So, what happens when the big “Pause” button is hit? This question has been jingling in my mind since my brother’s accident, and it kindled again [...]
Lead from the Middle: The 9 New, New Leadership Principles
by Jon Mertz on December 8, 2011 in Re: Lead
There are several solid leadership chats and discussions that happen through social media. Tuesday nights, there are two tweet chats that bring people together — #leadershipchat and #leadfromwithin. Earlier this week, I participated in both. It was leadership conversations in stereo, streaming continuously in 140 characters! Perseverance was the topic in one, and next generation [...]
Leadership Principles Refreshed
by Jon Mertz on August 18, 2011 in Re: Lead
More thinking. More wrestling. All good. It is necessary to think through what you learn and see what rises to the top. When the scattered work days return, the quiet absorption of a leadership summit slips away, almost un-noticed. But, we need to take another break and determine what will be different going forward. For [...]
Winklevoss v. Shawshank: The Real Test Case
by Jon Mertz on May 19, 2011 in Choices Explored
Going back to court again… This time, it is the Supreme Court. The twin Winklevoss brothers just won’t give up. The real court case should be Winklevoss v. Shawshank to answer the question – when do you give up when pursuing a principle? It is a matter of principle and reputation, right? Most of you [...]
Cheap Shots during Challenging Times: A Question of Character
by Jon Mertz on May 10, 2011 in Re: Lead
The Dallas Mavericks swept the LA Lakers in four games. One of the unfortunate things about this series was the number of players ejected from the games, and they were all from the LA Lakers. Both Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum were ejected from Game 4 alone. If you want to gain an insight into [...]
What Are Your Core Beliefs?
by Jon Mertz on April 20, 2011 in Choices Explored
Last summer, my nephew stopped through as he was returning from an interview for medical school. We were discussing his interviews, and he told me about a question one of the doctors asked. The interview question was: What are your core beliefs? While my nephew thought it was a somewhat odd question, I thought it [...]
Being Liked Versus Doing the Right Thing
by Jon Mertz on January 13, 2011 in Re: Lead
Sometimes, we try too hard to be liked, to be known by crazy antics. Instead, we need to rise up and do better, be better. We need to be like the King in The King’s Speech, not like Captain Honors on the USS Enterprise.
You Are Not Really Down, Keep Moving Forward
by Jon Mertz on January 11, 2011 in Re: Lead
Michael Dyer proved in the Oregon Ducks and Auburn Tigers game that you are not really down when everyone thinks you may be. Keep moving forward.
About the Writer
Welcome! I’m Jon, and these are my thoughts on life, leading, and meaning. Our choices define us, so let's make the best ones possible. Join the conversation.








