Entertainment

Michael J. Fox: Eyes on the future

May 16, 2013

Actor Michael J. Fox, 30 years old when he began dealing with Parkinson’s disease, has now written three best-selling books and raised $285 million for Parkinson’s research as well as continuing his acting career. His life offers three ways to continue leading despite adversity.

A leadership lesson, set to Mendelssohn

November 14, 2012

When Maestro Wolfgang Heinzel stands before the Merck Orchestra, he may look like an authoritarian leader, commanding musicians from his podium. But Heinzel doesn’t actually know how to play the instruments himself—“in the same way a leader in an organization can’t do everyone’s job,” says Jon Chilingerian. Here is what maestros—and good leaders—understand.

Russell Simmons: Keeping that entrepreneurial spirit alive

July 26, 2012

The chief purveyor of hip-hop culture saw opportunity everywhere, even in the earliest days of rap. “You’d be happy to work with somebody,” he says, “but nobody wanted to work with you.” Since then, Simmons has made millions launching businesses nobody else believed in across media, fashion and banking, all catering to an underserved market.

Don’t let the big boys shoot you down

June 14, 2012
Don’t let the big boys shoot down an idea just because it’s new and weird. Another word for “new weirdness” is innovation. Consider Will Wright, the first leader of modern game design. Big companies couldn’t see the point of his game in which nobody “wins,” so Wright joined with two partners and self-published SimCity in 1989. Within a year, the game was a monster hit.

Larry King, dreaming big

April 27, 2012

The Navy classified Larry Zeiger 4-F because of his bad eyes. His friends had all joined the service, so he was left behind, wandering aimlessly. The young man wanted to go into broadcasting. Zeiger finally landed a job as a radio disc jockey and a new name five minutes before the show: Larry King.

Quincy Jones touts the value of practice

January 9, 2012
Quincy Jones, the music producer behind “It’s My Party,” “Thriller” and “Sinatra at the Sands,” a guy with 27 Grammys and 79 nominations, recommends three things to those starting out: practice, learn the history of your craft and listen.

What can you learn from Oprah? Plenty

July 27, 2011
After 4,560 shows, Oprah Winfrey stepped down as a queen of daytime TV. Her last moments on television drew more than 18 million viewers, which leads one to reflect: How do you build a brand like Oprah?

‘Mama Monster’ and her 3 stories

July 15, 2011

Predicted to earn more than $100 million in 2011, Lady Gaga is the latest darling of the leadership industry. Why? Because she has built a powerful brand and legions of followers by exuding charisma. A case study points out that Lady Gaga projects leadership by telling “three universal stories.”

Pushing from good to great

May 23, 2011
Confidence and ambition are fused for John Brenkus, host of ESPN’s “Sport Science,” a cavalcade of wacky experiments that explore the physics of sports. While he became good at sports, Brenkus was never great, so he decided to do two other hard things:

Barbara Walters’ weapon: empathy

December 3, 2010

At the center of all the advice to stop talking and start listening stands a premier example: Barbara Walters. The interviewer’s list of “gets” is a mile long and her genius has been to show her subjects she cares about them. She never engages in a battle of wits, never tries to win an argument and does not interrupt. The result is information no one has.