The finale of “The Office” had me laughing and even close to shedding a tear. For nine seasons, we watched as a PBS documentary crew filmed a bunch of people working in the Scranton office of the Dunder Miflin paper company. As we peered into the lives of these ordinary office workers, we could identify with them from our own office experiences. We...

An ancient storyteller named Aesop told a fable about the north wind and the sun. It opens with a challenge about a traveler's cloak. The north wind bets the sun that he can get that cloak off the traveler.

If you pay attention to business failures, you may start to perceive what some call “dead ends onto right paths.” Here are a few Harvey McKay gave in his classic business book: 1) Walt Disney was once fired by a newspaper. For what? For lack of ideas. 2) MGM’s memo after Fred Astaire’s screen test said: Can’t act. Slightly bald. Can dance a...

A friend of mine was dissatisfied with his job and the company he worked for. He felt mistreated, underused . . . and his anger simmered. But that was years ago. Today my friend works for the same company—even has the same job—but he loves it. What made the difference? One conversation. A woman asked him whom he prayed for most—himself or other...