A teenage mistake sentenced Lydie Gutfeld to 75 hours of community service. She had no idea those hours would launch a 35-year career devoted to serving communities. Lydie is the Community Services Director for the City of Placentia, California, and has spent her career working in parks and recreation for communities including Beverly Hills, Irvine, Mission Viejo, and San Bernardino. … Read More

Success means a lot of different things to a lot of different people, but there is one simple practice that will increase the likelihood of success no matter how you define it. Do what you say you will do. Not what you promise to do. Not what you swear on the lives of your children you will do. Not what … Read More

Kati Capozzi likes to ask a deceptively simple question: How do we get to yes? It’s an approach that has shaped a career built around finding a way forward—even when the obvious path is blocked. Kati is President and CEO of the Alaska Chamber, where she represents hundreds of businesses and works alongside a remarkably diverse group of leaders and … Read More

This one is a little bit embarrassing. I started playing the drums when I was 12. The son of a drummer and pianist, I suppose it was only a matter of time. 38 years later I am a competent drummer who is very comfortable with what I can (and can’t) do with the instrument. It feels good to be good … Read More

At 20, Joey Barranco was offered the kind of job most people would call a no-brainer.  He turned it down. Not because he was already winning, but because he believed in what he was building. That bet paid off. Joey is the owner of Mary’s Rose Creative Services, a documentary and brand film company he grew from a young guy … Read More

When the snow started to melt in the spring I discovered a leak in my camper. To make matters worse, I couldn’t find the source of the leak. I examined the roof and other surface penetrations and applied copious amounts of sealant even though none of the seals seemed compromised. The leak persisted. I was exasperated. And then it dried … Read More

Now that I’m 50 I have lots of things I never thought I would have. Like a personal philosophy about mowing the lawn.  I’ll save you the long version and just say that I set my mower as high as it goes even though it means cutting it a little more often. Years ago I cribbed this philosophy from a … Read More

If you’re reading this, then I’m probably still alive. I’m writing this essay from the lobby of an urgent care facility to get some help with a minor medical malady.  I hadn’t planned on spending my morning here, but here is where I am.  I expect you’ve been in a similar situation. A morning like this is usually the moment … Read More

Someone on your team isn’t sure where they stand. They might need a reminder of what they are doing right. They might need feedback on an opportunity for improvement. They might need a high five to let them know you appreciate their contributions. They might need you to care enough about their success to hold them accountable. They might need … Read More

In one of my favorite sequences in the Mission Impossible movie franchise, two characters find themselves handcuffed together in a tiny, but incredibly high-performance car as they attempt to elude capture.  One character is our hero Ethan Hunt who literally does this for a living. The other character is Grace, a clever pickpocket who has been pulled into this escapade … Read More

Your friends, family, and even the people you lead are the supporting cast in YOUR story. But don’t forget that you are a part of the supporting cast in each of THEIR stories. This matters because we are incredibly prone to focus too much on the US of it all.  I like to say that I’m selfish because I’m the … Read More

The people you lead don’t need another friend. But they do need someone who is invested in their success. They don’t need a buddy.  They don’t need someone who cares more about being liked than being effective.  They don’t need someone who will validate all their frustrations and tell them they are infallible. They need a leader who wants them … Read More

Entropy is what we call the tendency for everything to trend toward chaos. In incredibly basic terms, it means that things that aren’t nurtured fall apart. Stop going to the gym and your muscles begin to atrophy. Stop practicing golf and your skills begin to diminish. Stop watering your lawn and green grass becomes brown. Stop encouraging and correcting your … Read More

Once upon a time I had lunch with a CEO who wanted to reinforce the importance of taking a lunch break to his executive team. Over time it had become more and more common for these leaders to grab a quick bite at their desk or skip lunch altogether and he felt it was important they prioritized shutting their laptops … Read More

If my guess is correct, you were probably a kid when you were growing up. If so, there’s a decent chance you did what most kids do and found yourself running UP the DOWN escalator at some point. It seems like such a good idea as a kid, but as an adult I don’t need that kind of wasted effort … Read More

My wife’s family is absolutely nuts. But to be fair, so is my family. (Sorry mom) And to be fairer still, in ways that I can’t quite put my finger on, my household is nuts too.  Here’s why: Most people inherit traditions and preferences about things from their families. Which is great. But problems arise when we start interacting (or … Read More