In July of last year, an essay in the New Yorker proposed that crises can be a catalyst for positive change. As the U.S. suffers a fourth wave of COVID-19, is optimism still warranted? I am hopeful that we can count on human resilience in the face of adversity and...
Over the past year, elite athletes have brought unprecedented focus to the psychological challenges of performing at the highest level. Unsettled by pressure to win the Gold, Simone Biles pulled out of gymnastics events at this summer’s Olympic Games. Earlier,...
At the Summer Olympics in Athens, twenty-one-year-old Oscar Figueroa placed 5th in the men’s weightlifting competition and came to Beijing in 2008 hoping to better his performance. Unfortunately, due to a cervical disc injury, he failed to make a lift in the snatch...
The emergence of Covid-19 has forced all of us to change the way we conduct our lives. For nearly a year, people in every circumstance and walk of life have dealt with an invisible threat to the health of family, friends, and neighbors, as well as the distress...
In essence, leadership is the art of guiding a group of people toward a common goal. But what are the qualities of an effective leader? Is it a matter of charismatic personality or something that can be learned and cultivated? My interest in leadership led me to...
The question arose after reading an article in The New Yorker by Douglas Starr, professor emeritus of science journalism at Boston University.1 Although the article was written with regard to how the concept of swarm intelligence might apply to guiding a response to...
