What happens when leaders mess with what they don’t understand Kill all the sparrows. That was the order. Seventy years ago, Chairman Mao Zedong gave the order to exterminate sparrows as one of four pests to be eradicated across China. The others were rats, mosquitoes, and flies. Farmers had complained that sparrows ate grain. The
Of Sparrows, Hope, and Planetary Tipping Points Read More »
Everyone has them. And they are beautiful. Risk. Resilience. Recovery. These three words have long been part of my world of crisis and change leadership. It’s unfortunate that today they’re also too common a part of everyone’s careers and lives. Each is part of life. No one gets through unscathed. Each is an opportunity to
Don’t Fear the Cracks Read More »
How an old dinner party trick helps solve modern gridlock It’s “what I did on my summer vacation” essay time. I spent part of mine visiting friends who live in Pennsylvania near the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area — gently winding roads, idyllic farmstands, the ever-flowing Delaware River. Driving around, I saw the local
A preview of the 3rd edition of You’re It: Crisis, Change, and How to Lead When it Matters Most that was released on September 8, 2026 Character isn’t taught. It’s revealed. “Your character will be revealed as you live your life. There will be mistakes. There will be tests. You will not pass them all.
Character When It Matters Most Read More »
Polished speed is not what we should ask of AI — or ourselves The real costs of fast, polished, thought-free output There’s a passage from Mike Barlow‘s new book, The Thinking Mirror, that’s been sticking with me: AI is exceptionally good at smoothing things out—filling gaps, offering plausible continuations before you’ve fully realized what you
Efficiency is a False God Read More »
Avoidable missteps every change leader should note It’s been painful to watch the tumult at CBS News. The news operation came under new leadership following the merger of Paramount Global and Skydance Media in 2025 (a deal that is pending, though expected to go through). That change was coming wasn’t a newsflash. How it has
How Not to Lead Change: The CBS News Edition Read More »
Humans work best when we work together. Fifteen years ago, on May 22, 2011, an EF5 tornado ripped through Joplin, Missouri. It remains among the deadliest and costliest tornadoes in the nation’s history: 158 fatalities, more than 1,100 injured, over 4,000 homes destroyed. Utter devastation. From that day, Joplin rose again. That story is told
Joplin 15 Years On: The Power of Everyone Read More »
Attuning yourself to many frequencies enriches your life and leadership There’s something restorative about starting the day with my dog and the birds. Rhythm with surprise. An analog start to what will likely be a digitally immersive day. It’s grounding. Even on the same route, my dog Ollie always finds something fresh to sniff or
The Morning Listen Read More »
Unexpected Notes from a Vineyard One of the things I’ve been trying to attune myself to lately is asking, “What wants to happen?” I received a powerful lesson in that on a recent visit to a vineyard in Vouvray, France. I like working vineyards into my travel itineraries because I enjoy the stories: the grapes,
Leading Through Terroir Read More »
Why so many top execs miss the mark communicating in crisis I was recently asked to comment on the fallout from the Air Canada CEO’s comments after a collision between one of its regional jets and a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport. Two pilots were killed and 41 others injured. Initial indications are the accident
The CEO F’d Up… Now What? Read More »
How do you see what’s not quite there? I recently shared my working definition of leading with the host of a podcast (episode to come): Helping people into an uncertain future with hope, confidence, and agency. He was surprised that the future was part of the definition. I replied that I could not imagine it
Leading as Sensing the Future Read More »
On September 11, 2001, the almost cloudless blue skies seemed full of hope and possibility. That is, until 8:46 a.m., when American Airlines flight 11 plunged into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Suddenly, everything changed. I was startled awake in Southern California by a call from home: “Turn on the TV.” I
The Enduring Leadership Legacy of 9/11 Read More »
