Thought Leaders

We all influencers others. Except in the rarest of cases most of us desire that our influence has some sort of positive outcomes connected to it. While we don’t have to possess a “title” to influence others, those in recognized leadership positions are afforded...

The start of school is always a special time of the year. Students and teachers are excited to see each other after the summer,  and fall extra-curricular activities begin. With all the excitement, we tend to focus more on our work than we do on ourselves. We...

We tell our students and personal kids they shouldn’t be scared of change or trying something new, but how many of us walk that walk as an adult when there’s so much risk involved? Most of us operate extremely well in our comfort zone. Let us be…we like it here, but...

Now that we have settled into a new Post-COVID normal, society and the media have become more and more focused on the negatives of our education system.  Newspapers run stories about overcrowding, underperforming and bus incidents.  People complain...

The communities that you may find yourself in generally have one common goal—unity. In fact, the word “community” has within it the roots of two words “common” and “unity,” which accurately describe what the organization is striving toward. Although unity is an...

Some of the pastors I’ve had over the years stand out prominently in my mind. The fondness of those memories have little — or nothing — to do with their oratory skills or deep biblical knowledge. What drew, and draws, me to them is their spirit. What about their...

Tackling tough tasks and challenging complex conundra is what leaders do. (The easy stuff is almost always handled down the hall or on another floor of the building.) Consequently, our work disproportionately carries higher risk levels for failure. No prob! Failure is...

Clarity and simplicity are NOT one and the same. The consequential problems we deal with, as leaders, are rarely simple. Thus, clarity is elusive. Rarely, if ever, are the solutions to our complex problem(s) clear. While we strive for simplicity and clarity,...

Our impact as leaders — in our families, in our communities, in our workplaces — is the downstream effect of our influence. Our influence as leaders is the downstream effect of the TRUST others have in us. The TRUST others have in us as leaders is the downstream...

Ready or not, summer flew by too fast and another school year is upon us. Each new year starts with new challenges, new roles, and new responsibilities. People who serve in education have various life experiences and paths they have taken, however, they all have a...