Author: Real Leaders

There is a shopping center in Princeton, New Jersey, that exudes all the charm of a community where small businesses continue to thrive and residents take deep pride in local history. It’s the same place where Pasquale Romano used to go after school when he didn’t have sports practice or needed to work at his…

As we emerge from lockdown, our speeches all risk sounding the same because work from home has denied us fresh perspectives from travel, interactions, etc. How can I stand out from the crowd? Just last week, I decided to begin a speech with a focus on something almost everyone has experienced — and you referenced…

An amazing change has taken place over the course of the last decade. Business has woken up to the reality of climate change, that we’ve all been talking about, but are now experiencing firsthand.  Many business leaders have realized that our abuse of plastics, poorly managed waste and overconsumption has become a threat, and that…

I have moved from the Third World to the First World in my life. I was privileged to be poor before I became rich, to understand what it feels like to live in poverty without needing to read a book. I failed all my subjects at school, but the teachers never tested me on the…

Through 60 years of groundbreaking work, Dr. Goodall has shown us the urgent need to protect chimpanzees from extinction. She has also redefined species conservation to include the needs of local people and the environment. Today she travels the world, speaking about the threats facing animals and environmental crises, urging us to take action on…

No matter where you find yourself in life, you will experience setbacks. Yet, if you want to have a comeback, you have to be willing to change.  We’ve been through a series of setbacks over the last year — a pandemic, economic downturn, massive job loss, racial strife, and social upheaval. Unfortunately, it’s been one…

Alex Husted (above) has a solution for  the antiquated one-stream, consignment, donation model for recycled clothing.  The average American puts 100 lbs of clothes per year into the trash. Clothes and shoes are by far the fastest-growing waste stream. According to the EPA, only about 15% of clothes and shoes in the United States are…

Most startups need a business plan because they depend on venture capital funds or banks for financing Understandably, pitching a business idea to potential investors typically requires a business plan. But how decisive are business plans in determining the success of an entrepreneur? It’s a good question, and one that by no means only applies…