New Parachute Inventor Plunges to Death

On February 22, 1911, Gaston Hervieu climbed the Eiffel Tower to test a new parachute for pilots. He checked the wind, took a nervous breath, and began ...

Harry Potter's Friend Holds Him Accountable

Toward the end of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, there's a scene where Harry, Ron, and Hermione are about to break the rules and leave ...

Denzel Washington's Mom Teaches Him About Humility

"When I was young and started really making it as an actor, I came and talked to my mother and said, 'Mom, did you think this was going to happen? ...

Cartoonist Gets Published After 610 Tries

Up to his neck in debt, directionless, feeling lost, Tom Toro moved back into his parents' place and slipped into a dark depression. But things started ...

CEO of Buffalo Wild Wings on the Need for Feedback

Sally Smith, the president and former CEO of the wildly popular Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant chain, was asked, "What are some things you've ...

Medical Establishment Practices 'Mutual Pretense'

During his training to become a hospital chaplain, a man was surprised to learn of a phenomenon in the medical community widely known as "Mutual ...

Marines Must Hold Each Other Accountable

Editor's Note: The following illustration was adapted from an article by Michael Wheeler, a professor at Harvard Business School.

According to Major ...

Writer Tries to Live the Old Testament Literally

The nominally Jewish writer A. J. Jacobs spent a year working on an unusual experiment: he tried to put into practice everything he read in the Bible. ...

Brutally Honest Rejection Letters

The website Business Insider ran an article titled "7 Brutally Honest Job Rejection Letters." Here are two examples of how not to confront someone. ...

Business Leader Elicits Brutally Honest Feedback

After interviewing business leaders at over 100 companies, the authors of a Harvard Business Review article concluded: "Smart leaders today … ...