The dark side of charisma
However, the short-term benefits of charisma are often neutralized by its long-term consequences. There are big reasons to resist charisma: Charisma dilutes judgment. There are only three ways to influence others: force, reason, or charm....
World’s pollution rises 3 percent
The overwhelming majority of the increase was from China, the world's biggest carbon-dioxide polluter. Of the planet's top 10 polluters, the U.S. and Germany were the only countries that reduced their carbon-dioxide emissions. Last year,...
Pillars 2012: and the winners are…
The vast majority of those recognized for excellence in multifamily development in the contest many consider the Oscars of the apartment industry are located in markets that are among the top 25 metro areas...
The state of being
I certainly have. Even as someone who believes this is but a touchstone for something much grander, it's still hard to think of not being here. Not having a voice in the lives of my...
Why competition is healthy for business
It's sometimes comical to find business managers giving all sorts of reasons as to why they cannot do this and the other-because of competition. Is there really any business in this world without competition?...
IQ: Are we really getting smarter?
We are the first of our species to live in a world dominated by hypotheticals and nonverbal symbols. Advanced nations like the U.S. have experienced massive IQ gains over time. From the early 1900s to...
Starwood bets on apartments
Through his publicly-traded Starwood Property Trust Inc., Sternlicht has been buying foreclosed homes to rent as he waits for greater price appreciation. Through his private equity firm Starwood Capital, he also has been actively...
If I read one more platitude-filled mission statement, I’ll scream
At the risk of adding another consulting cliche to the mix, we can map the most common directional documents on a practical grid to help us to make sense of them. On one hand, we...
Portugal scraps rent control
But Portugal is scrapping its long-standing rent controls in one of the government's most radical economic and social reforms since the ailing country needed a $99 billion bailout last year, when it was engulfed...
Not your father’s senior living
If she needs it, she has round-the-clock phone access to a home health care agency that can handle emergencies, bring in doctors and help residents navigate the medical system. Though recent changes at the building...
Craigslist sues site that makes its apartment listings easier to find
In the lawsuit filed in a San Francisco federal court, Craigslist charges PadMapper with copyright infringement, breach of contract, trademark infringement, and unfair competition, among others. The lawsuit also names 3Taps, a San Francisco...
Apartment construction slowly picks up in Florida
With the exception of Austin, Texas, the Orlando metropolitan area had the lowest apartment-vacancy rate of any of the two dozen metropolitan areas tracked by ALN Apartment Data Inc. during the second quarter of...
I won’t hire people who use poor grammar. Here’s why.
Some might call my approach to grammar extreme, but I prefer Lynne Truss's more cuddly phraseology: I am a grammar "stickler." And, like Truss-author of Eats, Shoots & Leaves-I have a "zero tolerance approach"...
Multiple families, one roof
The suburban single-family home is becoming a misnomer as economic reality collides with shifting demographics. Many suburban communities have long made it difficult, or impossible, for homeowners to convert underused space—barns, garages and basements—into rental...
