Bill Peel

I think with my hands and have been doing so for as long as I can remember.  It's a natural way for me to concentrate and create.  The bigger the writing instrument and larger the writing surface, the bigger the ideas.  I'm an active listener when I'm drawing and a much more creative person when I can see the connections between thoughts.  Thinking with your hands does not require one to be an artist.  To the contrary, it is more compelling when the diagrams and images are loose, under construction.  Take the plunge.  Grab a marker, hold it high between your fingers and don't worry about the outcome.  Just write, draw lines, scribbles, arrows, dots, anything.  Get the ideas out on paper.  Ask questions, even write out the questions.  It's fun to come back later with another color and answer them, introducing new ideas and information.  My most creative concepts have arisen from diagrams developed on large (30" wide roll) b...

I  was in a large lecture hall at Mays Business School, waiting for a presentation by the “U.S. National Elevator Pitch Champion.” Everyone in the room was at least four decades younger than me, but I was intrigued to hear from the widely celebrated speaker. He had just coached the A&M Pitch team to victory in the largest and most lucrative pitch competition in the world. That alone piqued my interest. In a quick moment a hand reached out and said, “I’m Chris! Thanks for being here.” As the evening unfolded, I was enthralled with how eloquently Chris Westfall shared his philosophy, his “Leadership Language,” and how he engaged and entertained the audience.  It’s challenging for this charisma to convey in writing, yet, this book articulates the foundation of Chris’ award-winning philosophy. I burned through two highlighters, and eventually had to change colors, to capture the points that resonate in his “10 Leadership Factors.” What looks like a simple (and possibly fast)...