This blog is called Everyday Leadership. Obama is Obama. Trump is Trump. And you and I can choose to be everyday leaders. 324,707,000 people reside here. It’s pretty wonderful and pretty crazy that as 1 out of 324,707,000 each of us feels entitled to have our voice matter in this representative democracy. Doesn’t it seem … Continued
The last marathon I ran was in Sacramento, and the last mile felt harder, slower, and longer than the first 25.1. It reminds me of this never-ending race. Wednesday, when it’s over, the question will be: How will Trump or Clinton help us heal? Since it’s a democracy, I’d ask: How will each of us … Continued
Thanks for all the great comments last week in response to my blog about whether you would have the courage to read a (rather long) Reading for Leading about race in America. If you missed last week’s missive it was about how as white folk, we have a tremendous opportunity to educate ourselves and become … Continued
My intent today is to create new and realistic hope and purpose. But I need you to go uphill with me. Please don’t give up. Give me a few paragraphs before you do. Yes? Why make this unusual plea? Because I know that few leadership topics generate the level of hopelessness that is caused by … Continued
Friends, I could not write Reading for Leading last night. Maybe it was just how upsetting that debate was. An AMERICAN presidential candidate called their opponent “the devil.” And said if he were president, “she would be in jail.” That is frightening. I have fearful deep emotional impulses about my great tribe, a.k.a., Americans. But … Continued
I think she almost laughed at me. Kind of blurted an involuntary guffaw. But then my Teaching Assistant followed up her involuntary non-verbal display with sincere verbal reassurance. We were recapping the last 3 classes, all of which were led by students themselves. We were in strong agreement that the classes had gone well (as … Continued
I am in the middle of an experiment in the course I am teaching to Masters in Public Policy students at Berkeley. I share this for two reasons that I hope you will find value in, and which I will explain in the 2 numbered paragraphs below. First, the experiments: I have long subscribed to … Continued
Dirty truth: Most of us were never taught how to manage an individual, and especially when that individual goofed up. We mimic our parents, bosses, Murphy Brown, Donald Trump. We dislike it. They dislike it. It’s just something that has to be done, like vomiting when you’ve had too much of the wrong thing. Here’s … Continued
We all face times where we go back and forth on a difficult decision that we have: Do you accept the job offer? Do you let somebody go? Do you hire person X or person Y? Do you raise a tough issue with your partner, or when you pick your battles, is this one not … Continued
There’s a wonderful movie out called Don’t Think Twice. It’s directly about Improv — so enjoy some very funny scenes. Yet it moves beyond Improv to Improv’s relationship with mainstream “show business.” And, as Keegan-Michael Key shared with Stephen Colbert it actually moves well beyond that to offer a bigger statement…one relevant to Reading for Leading: … Continued