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Live. Learn. Lead.
Whatever tomorrow brings, I’ll be there with open arms and open eyes. — Incubus, Drive I was given the suggestion that you hire passion and train skill. Passion. Curiosity. Engagement. These are qualities that seem inherent to an individual nature. While a leader can influence their growth, they tend to either be present or not. I’ve learned this the hard way. We’ve all seen the reverse of such encouragement as well. People who have had their joie de vivre drained out of them. How does it happen? Start by them being shown no appreciation for their unique talents. Add some measure of uncertainty around their role or value in an organization. Implement processes that inhibit…
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You Be You, and I’ll Be Me
No matter how I am dressed, what I look like or what I am doing, I strive to always be me. – Steve SueWing, a community organizer, family man, marathoner, friend, and occasional drag queen Have you ever tried to be someone else? If you’ve spent any time in grade school, junior high, or high school; if you’ve ever worked in a large corporation or a small non-profit; if you’ve ever sung in a band, played on a team, or been in relationship, chances are you’ve attempted to deny some aspect of your nature. Countless stories of masquerade are born of the human desire for acceptance mingled with our ubiquitous self-doubt.…
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Gauntlet Buttons
There is a small button on the sleeve of a dress shirt just to the north of the cuff. For sartorial reference, that portion of the shirt is called the gauntlet. Hence, the button itself is aptly termed a gauntlet button. Spend any amount of time around men (or women) dressed for their business casual days and you’ll have the opportunity to acquaint yourself with this fashion detail. As with many functionally-limited components of today’s more structured attire, the gauntlet button was originally born out of utility and civility and has lingered. However it arrived on your well-dressed forearm, I encourage you to button it. No, it’s not because I have an obsessive…
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Think Big. Aim Small.
Aiming small may seem counterintuitive in a world of Play-Off games, New York Times Best Seller lists, and Zagat’s reviews. Our society continually seeks to identify the best of the best. In fact the web is full of listicles gone viral — 10 Quick Ways to Simplify Your Life, 7 Most Annoying Habits of Air Travelers, 21 Funniest Cat Videos — which serve to underscore that what you do isn’t valuable unless it is acknowledged by a million likes. But there’s a cheat in that tenet; it’s impossible to connect meaningfully with millions. I can’t look into the eyes of a million people and see them deeply. I can’t have the divinity of my nature recognize the divinity of theirs. It’s not possible. I am…
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What You Do Next
It happened. You did it again—that thing you thought you were done doing, or worse yet, that thing you thought you’d never do. We hate the feeling of that place. Engulfed in shame. Exhausted by regret. Overwhelmed by the embarrassment of what people will think. Good people. Important people. Maybe people we have hurt. People who trusted us. So now what? We’ve all had those moments. Moments of epic failure. Of embarrassment and shame. At least for me, self-loathing is not too strong a word for how I feel the moment it happens. What I want to consider today is the question of what follows that moment. What do we do next? The reason…
