Thought Leaders

I worked once for an impactful leader who taught me much about how to think and behave if I wanted the best from others. Dr. Tom Gaul regularly reminded us that he "didn't hire us to enforce policy, but rather, to do what was right for our students (aka customers)." ...

One of my most influential mentors over the years has rattled around in my brain for decades, particularly so on the subject of WHEN an important decision is to be made. He advised me to "take as much time as is allowed to make important decisions, collecting as much...

I recently read Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning, by José Antonio Bowen and C. Edward Watson (2024). My top takeaways were: Ø  Ethical use of AI must be baked into our curriculum and practice. Ø  AI can always produce C-level work,...

We are... What we think. What we read. What we eat. Who we admire. What we believe. What we listen to. Who we love. ....in control of each of those choices. And each one shapes Who We Are. *If you'd like to read more of nc's blatherings, go to nc's Recursive...

Rituals are collective habits. They provide symbolism for our culture. They're almost like social tattoos. Why are rituals so important in promulgating our culture? We schedule them regularly, thus making them habitual. They showcase the best version of our culture....

A well known tenet in the field of psychology is the rule of reciprocity. In essence: "I'll give you something, then you feel compelled to return the favor, somehow." We see this strategy deployed all the time, particularly in sales and con schemes.  The idea of...

Organizational work can be kind of a drag. It doesn't matter if your organization has a membership of three, or three hundred, or three thousand, or three million. Some well known things that make an organization feel and perform more effectively and affectively can...

Leadership occurs whenever two or more people are involved/engaged in some kind of relationship.  Whether we're in relationship with only one other person or with tens of thousands, our thinking, intent, and behavior influences that of "the team" (ourselves included)...

I have observed a lot of leaders over the last five decades. Some do an OK job of "staying open and staying legal." The literature aptly describes this as "satisficing." Good enough is good enough. A few of the leaders I have observed, however, are masterful at their...

The late Dr. Phil Schlechty oft reminded us that the people we work with, our internal and external customers, and even our students (for the educators among us) should be viewed as volunteers.    Each and every one of them extends to us their time, effort, attention...