The most dangerous word in leadership is yes. Not because agreement is weak. Not because change is bad. But because yes, when offered too quickly, hides a bill that someone else will eventually pay. Over the years, whether in technology, higher education, community foundations, or in rooms … [Read more...]
When Proximity Breeds Carelessness
It is a strange truth that we often reserve our sharpest edges for the people who have already chosen us. I have seen it in boardrooms, in partnerships, in community work, and in the quiet spaces of home. The further someone stands from us, the more measured we become. We listen better. We are … [Read more...]
Better Than What, Exactly?
I have always been slightly unsettled by the phrase, “I want to leave the world in a better place than I found it.” It sounds noble. It photographs well. It fits cleanly into a bio. But every time I hear it, I find myself asking a quieter question. Better according to whom? There is an … [Read more...]
Only Take Home What Is Yours
I see too many folks carry home things that were never theirs to begin with. You can see it at the end of a difficult meeting. Shoulders tight. Silence thick. Someone replaying a comment in their head that was more about the speaker’s fear than their own performance. Someone else internalizing a … [Read more...]
The Discipline of Choosing Joy in an (Often) Unfair World
I feel that most people do not struggle with complexity. They struggle with acceptance. Life often is not fair. It has always been like this. It distributes talent unevenly. It allocates opportunity inconsistently. It interrupts good people and rewards questionable ones. If you wait for … [Read more...]