Blog
Overwhelm and Hard Restarts
Instead of fighting the overwhelm perhaps we should just give up and start from scratch.
Overwhelm and Purpose
How we might reduce overwhelm by reconnecting with our core purpose.
Overwhelm and Agency
Lessons for how we might see our own agency when trying to overcome feeling overwhelmed.
Unlocking Next-Level Communication
Three strategies for how to make sure our stories aim at the right target and break through to our audience.
They Probably Have a Good Reason Not to Change
How to lead change by reducing our judgments and analyzing the barriers to change for those we want to influence.
A “Year” Isn’t Real
Using calendar time is a false construct when it comes to understanding the organization and the strategy. When leaders scrutinize how these constructs affect our understanding, it can reveal opportunities to make them more useful tools for decision-making.
Leadership and the Olympics
What we can learn from Kevin Durant and other Olympians on leadership.
I Have No Opinion
Having opinions can close off inquiry, calcify our thinking, and increase the odds that we’ll enter into ego-filled contests to defend our perspective.
Quieting the Judge
Quieting our judgments is how we can lean into our development rather than cutting it off because it doesn’t feel good.
The Leadership Lessons of Kenny Loggins
Is Top Gun the greatest movie of all time? Definitely. Is Kenny Loggins’ Danger Zone a great lesson about leading ourselves? Definitely maybe.
We’re All Bad Headline Writers
Cultural norms and our biases can distort the information coming into our minds, leading us to write bad “headlines” about what we’re seeing.
Starting and Quitting Like a Pro
Yes, being a professional means being able to focus when we need. But real pros also know when they need to cut themselves off.
An Integrated Approach to Leadership from Phil Jackson
Comparing the leadership insights from NBA champion coach Phil Jackson to other leading thinkers.
Leadership Lessons from MC Hammer
What U Can’t Touch This can teach us about leadership, and why I’m maybe not the best parent.
A World Without Email?
Cal Newport argues that we should introduce far more robust processes to knowledge work to “dramatically increase performance and make the work much less draining.”
Addition and Subtraction During Strategic Planning
Few people object to the idea that focus and prioritization are important. It’s just that it’s hard to do in reality. Here are some tools to be better at subtraction.
Better Questions, Better Answers
By changing one’s approach to brainstorming—focusing more on questions than answers—leaders can yield more instructive insights.
What If You Stopped Making Decisions?
When leaders stop making decisions, it can enable otherwise passive followers to become proactive leaders. These lessons from David Marquet and Turn the Ship Around! show us the way.