Several times a year, my son, Tim, and friend, Brian Bowers, and I speak to business management classes at Ohio State. Among the topics most discussed is managing people.

Editor's Note: A couple close friends on a tough assignment told me they played this song while they worked. Great lyrics and the right upbeat rhythm to keep one going, methinks.   

Editor's Note: Anyone interested in creating scalable, positive social impact while conserving resources through a disciplined approach to social entrepreneurship should read The Social Entrepreneur’s Playbook. SEA Change, a social enterprise accelerator our foundation supports, uses the book's framework and "Tough Love Tests" at the end of each chapter to help participating social entrepreneurs test their ideas and validate their products.

Editor’s note: The very idea that we don’t “find” our calling, we “fight for it” is a head-banger for me. I’m doing a commencement address to my old high school and I am very scared of talking to the students from the bright side. That is, so many speakers look back at a fairy tale; they woke up, found their meaning and pursued it. I don’t want to be Dennis Downer but I do want to tell them that strength of purpose is not something one arrives at. For me, it’s a daily battle, based on a plan and the battle continues today.

We all have plans. But until a plan is written, it’s not real.

Editor’s Note: I was surprised when I searched the 100 songs I’ve made song of the month on this website and this cut wasn’t there. It’s easily one of my favorites, all-time. Mostly it’s the music, a grand combination of relaxation and excitement. It’s been a favorite background to my work since its release in 1971. Feels like an early fusion, progression of jazz to electric rock and roll. Still, each lyric that leads to the title (noted below) has a point to remember.

Editor’s note: Sometimes I just need a lift. This book by a local newspaper writer who I’ve met and I admire qualifies. She’s also a good writer having been finalist for Pulitzer and sold millions of copies of her “God Never Blinks.” Brett’s goal seems to be to share stories she’s aware of and written about to see if one might motivate us to get off our butts and do something. I’m motivated.

Editor’s note: This is the overview of a Brookings Study inspired by the Buffett/Gates giving pledge. It is a brief and clear summary of the facts learned about the billionaire giving pledge started by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett and the motivation for these billionaires to promise to give away most of their fortunes. I’m going to order and read the whole study. Giving Pledgers are now up to 143, in all. Profiles of each and more info about the campaign can be found at www.givingpledge.org.

A friend recently asked me a couple of interesting questions:

Editor’s Note: I’ve been assigned by my meditation teacher to consider my "essential self." In his words, that means to try to picture who I was before I experienced the things that created my "social self”, “business self”, “family self” and the many roles we all take on to survive and prosper. In my case, I’ve gotten as far as seeing fairly clearly my six year old self, identifying how I viewed the world around me and what seemed to be characteristics that I can still identify with even after years of amending. That’s what Mayer sings about in this fairly lively tune – who he was in 1983, when he was six.