David Soubly

The late comedian George Carlin used to tell the story of pigeons in New York, known (as pigeons are everywhere) for their soft cooing sound. "I'm sure that at one time," George recalled, "pigeons had a really nice call." Something wild-sounding and clear. "But a few years in the city, man" - and the call is reduced to a soft coo. "Poor pigeions," George lamented: "Their song is stuck in their throat."

He made everybody laugh with that. But think about how the work environment can do that...

I must give all the credit for this short piece to Dr. Alexander Horniman, who teaches ethics, strategy and leadership at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.

Many years ago — so many, in fact, that he may not even remember the event or the topic — Dr. Horniman gave a presentation to hundreds attending a conference. The subject was how to develop future leaders. In the midst of his presentation, Dr. Horniman told a story. I have remembered that story all these years and...

THE GAME.

I used to play a game as a kid called Chutes and Ladders. You probably did, too. You might have known it as Snakes and Ladders. It’s based on the Indian game Moksha Patam, probably invented about eight hundred years ago.

Chutes and Ladders was very easy to learn, so kids of all ages could play it. Basically, each player rolled dice, advanced their piece, and moved upward on a board square by square. If a player landed on a ladder, the player ascended the ladder, which meant...