There is a quiet way leaders lose influence that rarely shows up in performance reviews, strategy sessions, or leadership books. It happens one conversation at a time. I have been thinking about this lately because I keep seeing the same pattern in meetings, coaching conversations, board … [Read more...]
The Arithmetic of Attention: Why the Life We Want Often Costs the Life We Already Have
This past Tuesday, I found myself sitting down with two remarkable young men. Both are immensely talented. Both are in the formative years of their lives. Both are standing at an important crossroads, thinking deeply about what comes next. I have always enjoyed conversations like these. There is … [Read more...]
What (Trust Based) Philanthropy Taught Me About Coaching
Some of the most meaningful lessons I have gained about leadership did not come from leadership books. They came from philanthropy. To some, that may sound unexpected. After all, philanthropy is often primarily associated with fundraising, grantmaking, and charitable giving. Yet the longer I … [Read more...]
The Introvert Advantage: Why Quiet Is a Strength
This article has been sitting somewhere in the back of my mind for quite some time. The final nudge came this morning after I came across a LinkedIn post that sparked a thoughtful exchange, including a comment from my dear friend Robert. It also reminded me of a question someone had asked me … [Read more...]
The Quiet Things That Shape Us, and the Fathers Behind Them
The people who shape us most rarely announce what they are doing while they are doing it. They are not thinking in terms of influence or legacy or even teaching. They are simply living. Day after day. In ways that feel almost too ordinary to notice at the time. And yet, over years, those ordinary … [Read more...]