The Potentiality

John Horn's Website for Community Builders

John Horn

Three Ways to Bring Historical Analysis to Your Community

A thorough analysis of the past might just be the best thing for your community’s future. Because great community-builders think like historians. A recent article in the Harvard Business Review by John T. Seaman, Jr. and George David Smith (both historians) entitled “Your Company’s History as a Leadership Tool” argues that “[g]reat leaders…[d]on’t ignore history until the time comes to plan their organization’s next anniversary. And though they may not view themselves as historians, they find it useful to think and talk about the past – in the present and in living color.”

Three Tips for Overcoming Mediocre Presenting

Everybody fails. Sometimes we do so spectacularly and sometimes we simply don’t reach our potential; I experienced the latter sort of failure on Saturday when I gave what can only be described as a mediocre presentation – the audience probably thought “it was fine”. For me, though, giving a presentation that is “fine” just isn’t good enough.

Three Reasons Why Panda Bears Are Horrible Role Models

Adaptability is crucial for success (career, community, family).People who are flexible with how the world is changing will lead its future as opposed to forever playing catch-up because they live in the past (are you listening, Republicans?). When it comes to building community, embracing change and nimbly adapting to life’s shifts is incredibly important – even necessary. Which is why panda bears are horrible role models for everyone everywhere.