What makes you angry? Is it people or situations? Is it injustice or insults? Is it poor decisions or policy? None of these things makes you angry. For that matter, none of these things makes you upset, jealous, anxious, or worried. Only you make yourself feel this way. The real cause of any of your …
You go on a first date. It’s a fantastic date. The both of you spend the whole afternoon and evening together, walking and talking, talking and walking, grabbing some food at the beginning of the date and then again later in the evening. You even hold hands and share an amazing kiss that both of …
There are good reasons to do so. Just don’t use the reasons as a cop-out. When others react emotionally and urge you to act quickly, it’s important to test your opinion and decision. As a leader, you must not react out of fear, anger, or frustration. You must be able to see things that others …
Will I accept the situation and still fight to do and be good? When confronting the reality of your leadership, you must answer this question. Accepting the situation doesn’t mean ignoring it. You still must do the right thing and be a good person who practices your virtues. This inquiry is particularly vital for leaders …
Good leaders know the difference and act decisively to prevent mediocrity from taking root. I stumbled across a daily leadership email from Admired Leadership a couple of years ago. An email in the past few days about permitting mediocrity resonated. It’s worth a summary: The article distinguishes between mistakes and mediocrity. Mistakes are unintentional errors …
Leadership and life are full of decisions—big and small. Making the “right” choice can feel overwhelming in an era of unlimited information. While Google searches and self-help books have their place, nothing beats the clarity and insight from talking things through with someone else. That’s where your Personal Advisory Council comes in. Think of it …
As a leader, or rather as a person, how do I establish clear principles, and am I actively living by them? Upholding our principles consistently can be challenging, but it starts with ensuring they are well-defined and effectively communicated. Good intentions alone are not enough; leadership requires translating those intentions, those principles, into action, especially …
Living Your Principles: A Blueprint For Living And Leading With Purpose Read More »
“I would rather rein in a fiery warhorse than prod a reluctant mule.” The Israeli military leader and politician Moshe Dayan was quoted as making this statement in The Lion’s Gate by Steven Pressfield, a tremendous book about the Six-Day War. Dayan was looking for aggressiveness in his military. I can understand this stance when …
“There is no problem so bad that you can’t make it worse.” Chris Hadfield, Astronaut How often have you had the thought, “Well, this can’t get any worse.” Sure it could, and you could be the reason it does. Your actions as a leader will shape the direction of your team or organization. So, it’s …
As leaders, we are encouraged to answer the question, “Why do you lead?” We seem to get it from every possible angle: great books on leadership (Start with Why by Simon Sinek, for example), the podcasts we listen to, the email newsletters in our inbox, and the leadership groups we follow on social media. That’s …
The leader believes in a different reality. You believe in a different reality or wouldn’t do what you do. Otherwise, you wouldn’t accept the suffering and loneliness that comes with the territory. You see the way things are. Yet, you believe that it should and can be different. You have your feet firmly grounded in …
You can’t, or won’t, make the right moral decisions in leadership or life without making the correct little ones first. Every moral decision is shaped by countless smaller choices that shape your character and leadership style. While it’s easy to believe that you’ll make the right moral call in a critical moment, the truth is …
Leadership Integrity: Navigating Moral Choices for Lasting Impact Read More »
There is no problem so bad that you can’t make it worse. As a leader, you are on a journey marked by challenges and uncertainties, where decision-making is pivotal in shaping the path forward. The quote above encapsulates a profound truth about the delicate balance you must strike. It underscores the dual nature of decision-making, …
There is no problem so bad that you can’t make it worse Read More »
School leaders, below is the parent newsletter article I referenced in the November Leadership Notes. Feel free to copy and edit as you need! The video link is in the newsletter. It would be a good idea to encourage them to watch the video first. Title: Nurturing Growth: Lessons from the Parable of the Butterfly …
I visited with a school leader who is in her fourth year. One of her issues is time management. Like you, she has to do more jobs than what the job description entails. She has to sub, be the day custodian, clean up the cafeteria (every day), and do other tasks. You probably have the …
The Urgent will Overwhelm the Important in Leadership Read More »
The author Jon Acuff coined the term “Critics Math.” Here’s the equation: 1000 compliments + 1 insult = 1 insult Seems like a nonsensical equation. However, it makes total sense in leadership. It’s the notion that we can do a thousand things right, get a thousand compliments, or make a thousand good decisions, but then …
Every great leader is widely disliked. I’ll admit this is a bit of an overstatement, but there is a rather strong thread of truth in it. All we have to do is look at a few now-widely revered people from history: Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Jesus Christ. They are recognized …
Good leaders listen more and talk less. Why should you talk less? First, you can keep yourself from looking foolish. Second, listening more helps you learn and grow. Third, both of these will make you a better leader. So much of what we have to say just adds to the cacophony of noise around us. …
In a Hole? STOP DIGGING!!! This common-sense piece of advice is one of the most often violated. Things don’t go your way. Your board starts to move in a different direction than you planned. An employee mishandles a problem with a key customer. One of your teachers reacts poorly to a student’s behavior. A parent …
How long does praise last anyway? This is a question last week from The Daily Stoic. Below is my (edited) response: It lasts only in the moment, whether that is a few seconds or a lifetime. A lifetime is only a moment in the linear march of time. Praise is not what immortalizes us. It …
Any time you are in a leadership position, whether it’s in education, community service, business, your church, or even in a volunteer organization, you are a target of criticism. It’s just the way it is. You’re not the exception, either. Sounds negative, doesn’t it? Well, it is. Unfortunately, it’s a downside of the calling to …
This is a little different post but it relates to your productivity and overall well-being. I believe it’s worth your time and reflection. Is your phone a tool or an adversary? I approach the question this way: For your smartphone to be a tool, you have to treat it as an adversary. It has been …
For Your Phone to be a Tool, You Have to Treat It as an Adversary Read More »
Truth doesn’t change. It becomes more fully revealed. Absolute truth, that is. Not relative truth, that thing that is so prevalent in today’s American society. Let’s use science as an example. At extremes of speed and gravity, Isaac Newton’s Laws of Motion and Gravity begin to fail. Along comes Albert Einstein with the Theory of …
Do you need to do more to be a better leader? Let me propose some different strategies based on my leadership experiences. The world is a fast, noisy place that is only increasing. The 24-hour news cycle has been with us since 1980. That’s over forty years of constant din in our ears. We become …
If you’re looking for a review of or insight into Pink Floyd’s album, “Darkside of the Moon,” or the Transformers franchise movie “Dark of the Moon,” this isn’t it. Perhaps you remember from your elementary science class that tidal forces from Earth have slowed the Moon’s rotation to the point where the same side is …
In leadership, no matter whether in education, nonprofit, or business, handling conflict is an important part of the job. When human relationships are involved, there is always conflict. It’s a fact of life. There is no faster way to a toxic, unproductive situation or workplace than to allow conflict to go unresolved. Perhaps I had …
A Natural Leader? Not (Totally) You and Me A natural leader, I am not, and I suspect you may feel the same about yourself. Why else would you be here? We know leaders are made, not born. Leaders evolve, and we must discover these talents and develop them over time. I had leadership roles in …