There are a few good questions that business owners, teachers and leaders ask when they are planning for growth in their classroom, their company or their life. Who are my students or clients or friends – really? What makes them tick? And what is unique about the people I serve and regularly connect with?

I have given these questions a lot of thought over the last few months. When the answer hit me it was a revelation I almost missed. I have identified one characteristic that runs through the hearts and minds of the majority of my clients. This one thing shapes their lives and our relationship.

A new program for medical clowns, the first of its kind in Israel, opened this year in the Department of Theater at the University of Haifa. The medical clowns will study for a BA degree in Theater and will participate in specially-designed courses in the field of nursing – with the goal of providing them with a range of skills that will enable their integration into the field of healthcare in hospitals throughout the country.

Michael J. Gelb ‘73 is earning wide acclaim by helping people live life to the fullest.

In his book, “How To Think Like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day,” Gelb invites readers to take some lessons about living from Leonardo da Vinci.

The book is based on what Gelb calls the seven da Vincian Principles:

• Curiosita’ - an insatiable curiosity
• Dimostrazione - testing knowledge through experience
• Sensazione - continued refinement of the senses
• Sfumato - a willingness to embrace ambiguity
• Arte/Scienza - developing a balance between art and science