“Denial is a common tactic that substitutes deliberate ignorance for thoughtful planning.” – Charles Tremper Last week in this space, the topic was leaders operating in fantasyland. Based on the feedback we received, it’s even more common than we thought. In particular, leaders are apparently demonstrating the highest levels of delusion when it comes to … Read more
“I have been driven by curiosity rather than certainty, by the wish to understand rather than the desire to pass judgment.” – Ramachandra Guha Being a leader is difficult, and it’s especially difficult when things happen that don’t fit your expectations of how people, or the world, should work. Sometimes, the very core things we … Read more
“Never be so focused on what you’re looking for that you overlook the thing you actually find.” – Ann Patchett Last week in this space, the topic was vision. Creating a clear, compelling vision isn’t easy, and most organizations never really get it done. Even organizations that succeed in terms of vision are faced with … Read more
“Imperfect action stops incessant overthinking.” – Jake Thompson It seems like an oversimplification to say that many leaders suffer from paralysis of analysis, but just because it’s simple doesn’t mean it’s not true. Leaders everywhere routinely fail to make decisions or take action because they can’t stop thinking. Obviously, you shouldn’t make decisions or take … Read more
“Make sure you don’t start seeing yourself through the eyes of those who don’t value you. Know your worth even if they don’t.” – Dr. Thema Bryant It’s easy for leaders to become reactionary on a lot of different levels. Sometimes we’re living in periods of massive change (hello 2025!) and we find ourselves jumping … Read more
“Right is right, even if no one else does it.” – Juliette Gordon Low How do you handle difficult situations? The topic came up in this space a couple of weeks ago, but, probably because of some things I’ve seen and heard during that time, it’s front of mind again. As leaders, we’re involved in … Read more
“Be scared. You can’t help that. But don’t be afraid.” – William Faulkner It’s in our nature as humans to comfort. We want to be comfortable at work and at home. We want to be comfortable financially. We want our relationships to be comfortable. The root of that comfort-seeking comes from our ancestors. If you … Read more
“Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy.” – Saadi We would all love it if the world went exactly the way we want. We make a plan, and everything falls into place. We take some chances, and every potential roadblock disappears. We make some assumptions, charge ahead, and find out that every … Read more
“There are two types of people who will tell you that you cannot make a difference in this world: those who are afraid to try and those who are afraid you will succeed.” – Ray Goforth Part of Newton’s First Law of Motion says that an object in motion stays in motion with the same … Read more
“A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life.” – Muhammad Ali I heard someone say recently that one of the things she was most proud of in her career was the fact that she’d stuck to the same principles in 2024 … Read more
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