When Ross Perot hired me to be his personal assistant in 1984, he didn’t know I was a magician, but he found out at the office Christmas party when I did a little show for everyone. Afterward, he came up to me and said, “Andy, that’s pretty good how you do those magic tricks. From… Read more about The Most Important Thing I Needed to Know About Leadership I Learned From Ross Perot
Everywhere I go around the world, the word Abracadabra is recognized as the universal magical incantation (except in Asia, and I don’t know why), but most people have no idea what Abracadabra means, including probably 99% of magicians. Abracadabra’s history is ancient. It is believed to be an Aramaic word – an ancient sacred language… Read more about ABRACADABRA: What I Speak Is What I Create
Take a good look at this poster of legendary British magician David Devant. Compare this to Devant’s colleagues… Most magicians shined the spotlight on themselves. Thurston called himself, “World’s Famous Magician,” Blackstone, “World’s Master Magician,” and Kellar “The Great Magician.” They were focused on invoking power and posturing to elevate their own stature. David Devant’s… Read more about It’s Not All About You
The Creative Giant Show focuses on how to bring your unique skills, talents, experiences and passions together to make the world a better place. I was honored to be a guest recently and in this interview I talk about my life and the work I’m doing to create workplaces where human spirits can thrive. LINK: The… Read more about The Creative Giant Show: Weave Your Magic Into Your Life with Andrew Bennett
Our friend Cindy Lewis died recently at age 52 after 16 years battling cancer. Her memorial service had to be held in the local high school gym because over 500 people showed up. Per her wishes, a celebration was held after the service and as I circulated among the guests I was struck by something… Read more about The Power of Hope
A few months back I began a presentation on transformational leadership to 40 high-potential managers with a simple request: “May I borrow a one dollar bill?” After a little hesitation one guy waved a dollar in the air. I asked him to bring it and join me in front of the group, but he said… Read more about The High Cost of Assumptions
As I studied magic from the basement of our farmhouse in Michigan I was damn serious for an adolescent. So serious that I subscribed to a magic newsletter, “Abracadabra,” from England. This was a long time before the Internet so it was sent by airmail every week. When I was 14 years old I read… Read more about What You Believe Is What You See
Years ago when I was learning how to facilitate meetings, a colleague, Bob, gave me some feedback by asking me, “Do you realize how often you use the word, ‘but’?” He told me that almost every time I used “but” I was dismissing the person who made the comment preceding it and little by little… Read more about Watch Your Buts
