Greetings.  Once again Fall has arrived with its beautiful colors, shorter days, cooler nights, and a clear reminder to slow down just a bit to count our blessings. Yet this year has been a very challenging year for many businesses, communities, families, and individuals.  A time of cutting back, barely getting by in some cases, and hoping that better days are just around the corner.  Hopefully the worst is behind us and the months ahead will bring new ideas, energy, and possibilities. Now is certainly a time for innovation and unlocking the brilliance in ourselves, our organizations, and the world around us.  In fact, it's the only way that we will be able to create real value for the customers we serve and real opportunity for those in need.    

At this time of year I also think about the wonder of childhood and the continuing magic of our own children Sara, Carly, and Noah.  Each day they remind me that nothing is impossible when we combine our innate sense of curiosity and openness with just the right attitude.  They are also a never-ending and enthusiastic source of new and powerful insight on leadership, innovation, music, movies, soccer, asking the right questions, making the right things happen, social networking, YouTube, and just plain having fun.  As they were on this day near our summer house on the beautiful west coast of Sweden…      

As always, thank you for being an important part of the life of our company in the past year.  And sincere wishes for a Thanksgiving and holiday season filled with peace, joy, good health, laughter, learning, real attitude, and a new perspective on the genius and innovation all around us.

Cheers!

P.S.  Special thanks to all of you who subscribe to this blog and have been kind enough to share it with your friends, co-workers, customers, neighbors, clergy, and strangers.  In just two short months, the notion of unlocking the genius in ourselves, our colleagues, our organizations, and the world around us has really started to take hold!