Thought Leaders

Leaders burn out, a LOT. We cannot do great good for others if we do not take care of ourselves. If we deplete ourselves, we and many that depend on us pay a price. Just as we are responsible for the health and wellbeing of our stakeholders -- internal and external --...

Two of the hallmarks of exemplary leadership are Vulnerability and Transparency.Being Vulnerable as leaders does not make us "wobbly" (to channel Margaret Thatcher). On the contrary, it positions us to more authentically engage with both our internal and external...

Author: Nelson CoulterWho we choose to BE is far more important than what we choose to do, and orders of magnitude more important than what we say.How do we go about choosing who we want to BE?An impactful guiding question: How will my existence on the planet make it...

A valued friend of mine shared a lovely concept with me this week. (I’ll call him Bob for purposes of anonymity.) Bob told me that he had been advised at a young age by valued mentor to take the following approach to life: Whenever you have the opportunity to help...

I recently read The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting Up a Generation of Failure, byGreg Lukianoff and Jonathon Haidt (2018). In this is book, Lukianoff and Haidt premise what they call the three Great Untruths: 1)...

As a small, rural school superintendent, my primary goal is to ensure that excellence and continuous improvement resonates throughout our district. To achieve this, I employ a structured approach that focuses on collaboration, innovation and a commitment to student...

Sometimes we slip into recalcitrant thinking and behavior. The impact of such behavior is defensive, limiting, and “slowing.” That impact is especially magnified when the recalcitrance comes from leadership. What does recalcitrance look like in an organization? Impose...

The best leaders I know are constantly doing the work of succession planning. Most organizational leaders know they are only one minute or one decision away from no longer being the leader. How do these wise leaders go about the business of succession planning? They...