Category Archive

The one glaring problem with assuming a posture of growth and forward motion is that it can be easy to focus exclusively on what is lacking without taking time to acknowledge the progress you’ve already made. You certainly have room to grow. We all do. But this is your friendly reminder that you’re doing better than you think. How do … Read More

In this episode of Leadership Huddle, I chat with Lael Oldmixon, Executive Director of the Education Trust of Alaska, to explore what it means to lead with clarity, community, and just the right amount of cardio. Lael shares lessons from her leadership journey and we talk about the mindset shift from doing it all yourself to truly leveraging your team, … Read More

The elevator in my hotel is incredibly noisy.  The elevator shaft constitutes the center of the tower, with each room wrapping around it, relatively equidistant.  Which means every room, on every floor, is the worst room in the joint.  The first night here I thought it was going to make me lose my mind. On night two I was much … Read More

Have you ever intersected with an idea that instantly and fundamentally changed how you operate? They are likely few and far between, but I can say with complete certainty that the song “Grudges” by Paramore changed my marriage for the better. In the first verse, singer Hayley Williams poses a couple fascinating questions to someone in her life: “Are you … Read More

I wonder if this might sound familiar to you: I love the idea of delegating until something breaks or things get really stressful. For example, I was recently navigating a particularly difficult circumstance in my printing company and was overwhelmed by the desire to swoop in and just fix all the things.  But swooping in and fixing all the things … Read More

It’s fascinating to me that most of us think we are unique and that our problems are special, but we’re all wrestling with the same handful of issues. Coaching leaders for nearly a decade has really driven home that the names and places change, but the challenges are mostly the same. One of the issues that has vexed almost every … Read More

Some of my favorite people spend most of their workdays in meetings. Meeting after meeting after meeting.  End to end for eternity, with some overlapping meetings thrown into the mix for good measure. Perhaps you can relate. So, when I came across a sign recently that said, “THIS MEETING COULD HAVE BEEN A FISTFIGHT,” I said a quick prayer for … Read More

A Proverb was referenced in church recently that I can’t stop thinking about.(FYI: This essay has nothing to do with religion) Proverbs 3:6 says, “Submit to Him and He will make your paths straight.” That last part sounds like something a good leader would prioritize, doesn’t it? And yet, through the years I’ve worked with so many exasperated professionals who … Read More

NASCAR drivers – athletes with the stated purpose of beating all the other racers to the finish line – do the strangest thing during their races: they stop. Instead of pressing forward relentlessly, they take a moment to refuel and swap tires – a pit stop – so they can be most effective in the remaining laps. Driving on worn … Read More

Have you ever seen the master score an orchestra conductor uses?  It is an overwhelming document that contains the music for every instrument in the orchestra and is usually covered in handwritten notes. It’s the conductor’s job to know the inner workings of every part being played and to fully understand how they interact as the piece unfolds. This is … Read More

A few years ago my dad and I built a shed on my property in the west hills of Fairbanks. I got a few quotes from contractors but decided it would be a fun project to tackle with my dad, and I could use the money I’d save to pick up some new tools that would serve me on dozens … Read More

A few years ago I took piano lessons for about 4 months. It changed my life. That might sound sarcastic given the abbreviated amount of time spent, but I’m being quite serious. I ended those lessons because of a scheduling conflict, not because I learned it all in 4 short months, but two simple instructions my teacher used have stuck … Read More

I was convinced for many years that good leaders needed to understand how to alleviate tension. I wasn’t wrong about that, just shortsighted. Turning down the tension IS an essential part of leading a team but, in the same way your car needs a brake pedal AND an accelerator pedal, it’s only half of the equation. Leaders must be conscious … Read More

I’ve been reading a lot of Calvin & Hobbes lately.  A child of the 80’s, I remember enjoying the comic strip as a kid, but reading it as an adult is a completely different experience. That rambunctious kid and his stuffed tiger have a lot of layers. In a strip I read recently, the pair are careening down a hill … Read More

I hope you aren’t waiting around for the day when someone with authority finally rewards you with the title of leader. This is my hope for two reasons: Waiting to finally be rewarded with a stamp of approval is a great way to miss the opportunity to lead today. It’s easy to think of leadership as a destination, but leadership … Read More