Cornerstones features the writings of Jennifer StJohn and the Fusion Group editorial team. Enjoy these insightful and engaging essays for a different take on business, life and the pursuit of success and serenity.
Shedding Light on Laughter
“Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh, and the greatness which does not bow before children.”
— Khalil Gibran
“There are two kinds of light — the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures.”
— James Thurber
Laughter is the greatest indicator of upset resolved, occlusion dissolved and wisdom discovered.
Laughter dissolves barriers between people, nations, parties, points of view
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Betrayal
While the Editorial Team enjoys a summer hiatus, we’re republishing past articles by popular demand…
“But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.”
—Jesus to the Disciples
Luke 22:36
If you work, love, play on a team, fight in a force, serve in a church, dedicate yourself to the community, the law, your country or mankind, you will experience betrayal. Not because they’re bad people
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Poised for Outrage
“Don’t understand me so quickly!”
–Yul Brynner as Chris
in “The Magnificent Seven”
Have you noticed that people are “Poised for outrage”? Cutting you off halfway through a sentence? That they see you as “evil incarnate” before they’ve heard your entire premise? Especially when there’s an emotional charge in the air? There are lots of reasons: high-pressure circumstances, high speed technology and, of course, microwave popcorn.
Everything moves
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Follow the Leader!
“The worst of corporate culture often originates in the bad habits of the Boss.”
— J. R. StJohn
Madison Avenue:
An executive was averse both to a standard structure and actual eye contact. Accordingly, he (and his Minions…) wrote his presentations out long-hand, essay style, and had them transcribed in IBM Orator Font on clear acetates for use with an overhead projector. The Minions would shepherd the stack to the conference room and solemnly place them one-by-one
A Gestalt of Systems
“Being a successful executive is a process of creating, managing and evolving a gestalt (family) of personal support systems to handle all the daily demands automatically, which leaves the individual with time to work, think, create and live — with sufficient attention left over to drive safely…”
— J. R. StJohn
John Molloy, author of the famous Dress for Success, once spoke of the challenge of office dressing as to create an “Office Uniform” which
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