José Muñoz’s Post

Stefan Sagmeister is very lucky to work on his passions of music & design but outlines that after a while even this can get boring and everything starts to look the same. This is true for any work we do, even if it is something we are deeply passionate about. We need variety and we need to be learning to nurture & fuel our creativity & innovation, keeping our work fresh & exciting.  Below is Stefan’s genius idea in a timeline. Stefan explains we spend roughly the first 25 years of our lives learning in some form of education, we spend roughly the next 40 years working and if we are lucky enough, we spend roughly the next 15 years in retirement. Stefan takes 5 of these retirement years and disperses them throughout his working life – GENIUS! Stefan explains that this is clearly enjoyable for him but also the work that comes out of this year flows back into his company and society at large and so is beneficial to everyone.  Stefan outlines some of the creative ideas & success that he and other companies such as 3M and Google have had by giving their employees time to creatively pursue whatever they want. It is this creativity that keeps people FRESH, CREATIVE & INNOVATIVE.  It is this FRESHNESS, CREATIVITY & INNOVATION that differentiates companies that grow & succeed from companies that regress & fail.  Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eXUpKd98

As the United States celebrates Independence Day this 4th of July, let's reflect on the broader meaning of independence. Independence isn't limited to nations; it's a personal journey too. Whether freeing yourself from a job, a toxic situation, or a past experience, independence empowers us to achieve greatness. Let's shine in the face of adversity and embrace our ability to break free from dependencies. How have you celebrated your independence recently? Share your journey in the comments! 🎇🗽 #IndependenceDay #PersonalGrowth #ResilientJourney"

A lot of people hated Henry Kissinger, and he's just died. This is just part of the Henry Kissinger section of my library. (It's the part I keep in my office.) Out front is Christopher Hitchen's indictment of Kissinger in a book, "The Trial of Henry Kissinger." I read it with interest, and it certainly added to my sense of the highs and lows - mostly the lows - of Kissinger's diplomatic career. As a strategic communicator and perpetual student of the art of change, I read Kissinger's "A World Restored" - his Harvard undergraduate thesis in book form - and I felt that I had discovered a living thinker on par with the all-time greats. Kissinger was drawn, somewhat tragically but also enthusiastically, to take his brilliance beyond the academy and think tank to play the role of a "statesman." Smarts are not always judgment, nor are smarts a guarantee of character, and ... let's just say that in the course of pursuing strategies that helped to end the Cold War, opened the relationship with China that has played a huge role in supercharging our economy over the past 50 years... and some other great achievements... some really callous, totally unnecessary, and probably illegal stuff was done too. Kissinger had personal experience of just how bad things can get and he believed he was doing what was necessary to prevent the worst. Preventing the worst is good, but it can easily slip into working from fear and calling it "real." Anyway, a consequential 100 years, and much to learn. #changeagents

This is a really valuable insight into where #Germany 🇩🇪 is at post invasion of #Ukraine 🇺🇦 , and how norms are shifting and new space is opening for #civilsociety, even if you do not work on #security or the #zeitenwende

Do Not Despair: The Spirit of Alexander Hamilton is Alive in America ********************* "All the genius I have lives in this: when I have a subject in hand, I study it profoundly. Day and night it is before me. My mind becomes pervaded with it. Then the effort that I’ve made is what people are pleased to call the fruit of genius. It is the fruit of labor and thought." Alexander Hamilton, founding father of the U.S. financial system ********************* I visited the gravesite of Alexander Hamilton during my trip to New York last week. I opened a LinkedIn post describing my experience with the above quote. These words not only capture the essence of Alexander Hamilton, but they also describe the fire that resides at the core of the American spirit. It is the relentless and creative thoughts of Americans that have yielded countless innovations; and it is the tireless labor that converted these thoughts into real progress. Many Americans now fear that the fire at the core of the nation’s spirit is extinguished. But after researching 233 years of U.S. financial history, I no longer share this fear. A recent experience with my son reinforced my conviction. Jack Higgins runs cross country for Riverdale High School, and the team set a goal of reaching the state championships this year. With the district meet only one week away, they were devastated when they fell short of their personal and team goals at their most recent meet. Reflecting on their performance, some complained about the course conditions and personal mistakes that produced this outcome. A few lamented that perhaps the goal of making the state meet was unachievable. But Jack turned the conversation around by encouraging his teammates to look forward rather than backward. He then stated the uncannily familiar sentiment that, “greatness equals effort plus belief.” I am not sure how this happened – I never shared Alexander Hamilton’s quote with Jack – but it seems like Hamilton's spirit was somehow channeled into Jack's spirit and was then voiced using only a slightly different combination of words. It is undeniable that the future looks dark right now. Embers of past wars have reignited in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. In the United States, fiscal deficits are unsustainable, the wealth gap is expanding, political polarization is intensifying, and climate change threatens the quality of life for everybody. These problems are undeniable, but those who believe that they are unsolvable underestimate the durability of the American spirit. To be clear, solving America’s future problems will not be easy—but neither was it easy to solve its past problems. Despite what always seem like long odds in the moment, history strongly suggests that the United States can and will prevail. I believe this wholeheartedly—and seeing the American spirit reignite spontaneously in the spirit of our youngest generation only reinforced it. Katie Higgins #finhistory

The 35th anniversary of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hungary has taken me on a journey down memory lane, reminding me of the early years when I first returned to Hungary. It was a lifetime ago, yet it feels like yesterday. In 1991, Arthur Andersen brought me back to this land of my heritage. As a child who moved to the US, I never imagined I would return to Hungary except to visit family. Hungary, then under a communist regime, was a place where opportunities seemed scarce compared to the boundless prospects in America, despite my deep affection for my mother's birthplace. Brazil, where I was born and where my father lived, was beautiful but I left at age 2 and connected much more to Hungary where I spent my early childhood. When the chance to return to a new Hungary presented itself, a Hungary brimming with hopes of democracy and a merit-based market economy, it felt like a dream come true. In those formative years, we forged incredible friendships with Hungarians and expatriates alike. We honed our professional skills rapidly, embarking on thrilling projects across numerous industries. We were the pioneers of an emerging economy, filled with promise and potential. Such a unique experience is one my children may never fully grasp. They are growing up in a world with fewer dreams and less optimism, amid a perplexing political landscape. Despite the presence of military and economic unions between nations, animosity seems more prevalent now than at any other time in my life. As children in Central and Eastern Europe, we dreamt of democracy, travel, success based on merit, and becoming part of genuine global communities. Today, our children face a different reality. Social media surrounds them with millions of superficial connections, and their fears, both real and manufactured, cloud their vision of clear career paths. They question whether they should or can remain in their own country to achieve success. While our times were often fraught with uncertainty and fear, we held onto hope—the hope that change was possible and that we could achieve our dreams. That moment of opportunity did arrive. Some nations embraced it fully, while others let it slip away, leaving the next generation to deal with the consequences. Now, it is our duty, both individually and collectively, to restore a world brimming with dreams for our children and the generations to come. This, I believe, is one of the most significant responsibilities of our generation. So, how do we begin this journey? #AmChamAnniversary #LeadershipJourney #Hungary1991 #EmergingEconomy #DreamsAndResponsibilities #ProfessionalGrowth #GlobalCommunity #ReflectAndInspire #FutureGenerations #HopeAndChange

After nearly four years, I have moved on as DGAP’s research director and member of its executive board. Throughout my time in Berlin, Germany has been rethinking its international responsibilities. And DGAP, as a membership organisation, gave me a flavour of how a swath of German society sees the #Zeitenwende As a non-German, to have been part of the domestic debate about the Russian war of aggression has been fascinating. But lots of us foreigners - even those who speak German - experience the Berlin discussion as somewhat self-referential and closed, and shake our heads at the Chancellery’s resistance to outside opinion. I described these frustrations for War on the Rocks last year: https://lnkd.in/dQURxFc4 In this parting shot, however, I want to draw attention to just how much #Germany really is changing. My metric is not the usual one used by us non-Germans - whether Berlin adopts French or Polish or British positions. It is how Germany comes up with its own positions. Germany has strong civic organisations that counterbalance central government power. Many of these might at first seem stuck in the past - in traditions of international reconciliation, trade and pacifism. But Chancellor Scholz has accidentally pushed them into greater self-awareness, and it is they who are reworking national posture in an alliance context. As I move on to a new role in another country (more on that later), my assessment is that Germany is becoming a better partner:

It is Independence Day here in the States and I wanted to make a post about how important independence is not just in our lives but in our data as well and then go on to describe why the independent and identically distributed assumption is so important for so many of our tests. But instead of doing that (don't worry that IDD post will come later), I would instead like to discuss one of the underpinning factors in America obtaining its independence - Risk vs. Reward. Balancing our risks and our rewards is a CRITICAL factor in our ability to achieve what we want out of life. I have found (am slowly finding) that the more comfortable I am with risk (discomfort) the more I can achieve. I can't imagine the sheer amount of risk not only the founding fathers and mothers but all the people living in the 13 Colonies were under during the time of the American Revolution. So today, let's celebrate by reflecting on risk and how we need to sometimes embrace a great deal of it to truly get what we want in our lives. Happy (smart and well thought out) Risk Taking, Happy Independence Day, Happy Thursday

Democrat or Republican. Red state or Blue State. Liberal or Conservative. Black, Brown, White, etc. Whatever your color, whatever your politics..... Whether your parents came from India, Scotland, Mexico, etc... NONE of it matters. Because we're all Americans. We're neighbors. America is an idea. We have a common purpose: To keep this 249 year "Experiment" in Democracy moving forward. You know who is 'fanning the flames' of our divisions? Our enemies: The govts of Russia, China, N. Korea, Saudi Arabia, etc. All dictatorships w/people living under brutality. Many around the world would love to see the USA fail. We have enemies and they'll continue to pour gasoline on anything that separates us: politics, race, religion, culture war nonsense I don't hate anybody. I disagree with people and that's fine. The world would be boring if we all believed the same things. Differences of opinions are HEALTHY. I love being wrong. I love changing my mind. It's OK to be wrong. I'm not right all the time, nor are you. We all need some humility and to accept that we "could be wrong." The US was built on the idea that sometimes your side wins. And sometimes your side loses. Sometimes I get the President I voted for, sometimes I don't. At the end of the day, we shake hands, say "good game" and continue on. I haven't traveled that much, but I've been to Mexico, Colombia, Panama, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Czech Republic, & Italy. Lessons I learned: 1) America is not the best at everything. 2) Americans could learn a lot by visiting other countries. 3) You will appreciate the USA more after going abroad. America has ALWAYS been "Great"! And America has ALWAYS had it's fair share of problems. That's OK. All in all, we have it pretty good here. There's no reason to end our 249 year Experiment. We need good people w/good policies working on hard problems. We don't need 'performers' mugging for the cameras. We sent people to the moon and back safely. We crushed the Axis forces in WW II. We've made a LOT of progress and still have some flaws. This is not the time to quit the race. We tried having a King/Queen: didn't like it. We tried splitting into 2 countries: also a bad idea. It's time to stop focusing on our differences and focus on what we have in common: -We're all Americans. -We all want America to succeed. -We just have different ideas about how to do that. We're not enemies because we have different opinions/ideas. We're in a relationship we have to make work. And that means (imho): 1) Everybody is more careful about the where they get their info. There's more misinformation than ever. 2) Everybody votes. 3) Everybody accepts the outcome of elections. Like we used to. Like adults. We grow up and stop with all the grievances. We don't get our way 100% of the time. The USA isn't perfect but it's moving in the right direction. There's still work to do. It's going to take all of us, together.

Happy Independence Day, USA! 🎆 On this day in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted, marking the birth of the United States as a free and independent nation. This historic document, crafted by visionary leaders like Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin, proclaimed the colonies' freedom from British rule and laid the foundation for the values of liberty, democracy, and the pursuit of happiness that define America today. "America’s abundance was created not by public sacrifices to the common good, but by the productive genius of free men who pursued their own personal interests and the making of their own private fortunes." This Ayn Rand quote encapsulates the spirit of innovation, individuality, and hard work that embodies the best of America. As we celebrate this day, let's reflect on the courage and determination of those who fought for independence and remember the enduring principles that continue to inspire and guide us. Independence Day is not just a celebration of the past, but a reminder of the ongoing journey towards achieving the ideals of freedom and equality. Today, we join in the traditions of fireworks, parades, and gatherings, honoring the spirit of unity and patriotism. Let’s take a moment to appreciate the significance of this day and the profound impact it has had, not only on the United States but around the world. Wishing all celebrating a joyous and reflective Independence Day! #IndependenceDay #July4th #Patriotism #Liberty #Freedom #USA