For as long as I’ve worked in strategy — and it’s been more than two decades now — I’ve searched for tools that do one thing well: help people think clearly. Not just think big, or think fast, or think lean. But to think clearly. Because clarity is the most underappreciated resource in … [Read more...]
Archives for June 2025
Fast to Learn, Slow to Sway: Staying Open Without Losing Yourself
There’s a kind of quiet power in people who are always learning, yet rarely lost. People who can sit with a perspective they hadn’t considered before — let it stretch them, challenge them, even change them — without feeling the need to abandon their core values in the process. It’s rare. And … [Read more...]
Proximity Isn’t Alignment: Why You Don’t Owe Everyone Your Time
Let’s start with something simple and human. You don’t have to know everyone. You don’t have to network with everyone. You don’t have to say yes to every invitation, every introduction, or every handshake at a conference. Somewhere along the way, “networking” became confused with … [Read more...]
Say It Like You Mean It: Why Your Introduction Matters More Than You Think
There’s something quietly radical about introducing yourself with intention. Not flash. Not performance. But real presence — language that lands, posture that invites, and clarity of purpose that lingers. I often tell my students and the young professionals I mentor that one of the most … [Read more...]
Beyond Good and Bad: Outgrowing Binary Thinking
There is a kind of violence in our thoughts and language that often goes unnoticed. Not the loud, vitriolic kind we associate with slurs or hate speech — but a quieter, more systemic kind. The kind that hides in headlines and hashtags, in casual conversations and immigration policies, in … [Read more...]
The People Who Run Into the Fire
When I think about the people I bet on — the ones I trust to build something lasting, navigate complexity, or lead others with clarity and grace — they aren’t always the loudest in the room or the ones with the most polished credentials. But they do share something deeper. A quiet composure. A sharp … [Read more...]
Everyone’s Problem, Everyone’s Dream: The Strange Gravity of America
Almost everyone has an issue with the United States. And almost everyone either lives there, wants to move there, or quietly wonders if they should have. This contradiction doesn’t need correcting — it needs understanding. We criticize what affects us. And the United States affects … [Read more...]
Philanthropy, Fees, and the Fight for Relevance: Why Community Foundations Matter
There’s a quiet tension building in the philanthropic space — and if you’re close enough to it, you can feel it. For decades, community foundations have been steady and trusted stewards of local generosity. But lately, they’re finding themselves eye-to-eye with a new kind of player: banks. Not … [Read more...]
Invisible Threads: The Subtle Habits That Quietly Undermine Strong People
Most people don’t set out to look weak at work. In fact, many of the smartest, most competent, and most well-meaning professionals do everything in their power to be thoughtful, collaborative, and humble. But that’s the catch. It’s often the well-intentioned behaviours — the quiet pauses, the … [Read more...]