Thought Leaders

There is a difference in lifespan and health span. Ideally, we seek to optimize both, squeezing all we can into and out of our lives, while remaining healthy for the whole journey. As leaders, we are directly responsible for the health and wellbeing of the...

Engagement is a word that has come into the frequently used leadership lexicon. It’s a really good word, an even better concept, and an absolutely necessary skill for those of us in the business of influencing others. Some refer to it as “presence.” The level of...

Our natural tendency, when feeling threatened, is to tighten, to hunker down, to narrow. The best leaders I know resist this temptation to “reduce” when faced with difficulties or crises. Instead, they seem to lean into the challenge (or challengers)...

“Did you ever get so busy driving that you didn’t take time to stop and refuel?”  I once heard the late Stephen Covey pose that question to an interviewee. As was his habit, SC brought to our attention in a metaphorical way an important insight into healthy...

More than ever, schools are now in competition for teachers, substitutes, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians, etc. Every position has been affected by the Great Resignation, the ability to work from home, fear of the pandemic, and by other enticements to...

7 years!  That is the grand total amount of time I have had the privilege of working in Texas ISDs.  19 years if we add in the Texas education I received as a young student. 11 years that it took to get my bachelor’s and another 1 to get the...

It’s Not the Destination; It’s the Journey—What I’ve Learned on My Journey, First Installment/Beginnings As I mark my 50th year as an educator, I find it so appropriate to reflect on the journey. Involvement in formal education has been a most significant part of 65...

The wisest leaders I know are fixated on continuous improvement.A continuous improvement mindset is inherently one that is futures focused. And, a continuous improvement mindset implies that something needs to change from its current state toward a better one. There’s...

Reversing the flow of an entire river is a notable accomplishment. From its inception, the Chicago River flowed from west to east just like every other US river east of the Continental Divide. Motivated by various needs and benefits, a vision to reverse the river’s...

When Dr. Coulter asked me to do this blog I didn’t realize the email was to me. I have no idea who I thought DG was – Let’s just say I wasn’t very observant. I asked a dear friend, “What on earth am I going to write about?” She answered, “write about your story.” Well...