Ian Philpot

This I Believe: People Want to Follow Causes

After writing People Want to Follow People, I kept having this nagging sensation that I had left something important unexplained (or under-explained). And it didn’t take long before I recognized it. People want to follow causes. Think about It As I mentioned in...

This I Believe: People Want to Follow People

For a while now, I’ve been stuck with an idea: People don’t want to follow organizations. People want to follow people. I don’t expect that statement to be surprising, but it’s not something we really think about. Think about It What is more...

This I Believe: On Risk

Creating the Weekend It’s not well-known that Henry Ford created the weekend, but he did. And he made a big sacrifice to make it happen. And it was a huge risk. Ford was looking for a way to sell more cars, so he decided to create something new: road trips. The...

This I Believe: On Work and Excellence

In school, I found it very easy to achieve excellence. The letter most commonly found on my report cards was A, and it was all thanks to my paying attention, working hard, and studying. And I was proud of that. But the real world is nothing like school. I’m not...

This I Believe: On Networking

When I finished high school, I was in an odd stage in life. I was struggling with what “friendship” really meant. And I guess all high school graduates face the same question: What happens to my friends when they go away to college and find new...

This I Believe: On Teaching and Censorship

I don’t believe that all teachers were meant to teach. And, of those who were meant to teach, I’m not convinced that they are all teaching the proper subject. Rather than revolt against a system that puts unfit teachers in developing minds, I have learned...