Leaders are quitters.

Leaders are quitters.

“Does everyone have a To Do list?,” asked Jim Collins at the Inc. 500 conference in September 2008. We all raised our hands. “How many people in this room have a Stop Doing list?” Not so many. Asked what he was planning to stop doing next, he...
Beware of Bikeshedding

Beware of Bikeshedding

bikeshed + -ing. 1. Futile investment of time and energy in marginal technical issues. 2. Procrastination. The term was coined as a metaphor to illuminate Parkinson’s Law of Triviality. Parkinson observed that a committee whose job is to approve plans for a nuclear...

Endless Evolution

A little over five years ago, I started writing here. Sometimes, I’ve written consistently. Mostly not. It’s really hard to write when life is hard, and the last few years have been hard. (The “fall asleep at 7pm with your shoes on and contacts...

Why Lead?

A few Saturdays ago, my eyes connected with a board member’s and, instantly, I knew we were having the same thoughts: Why am I here? Why do I subject myself to this? These meetings are always more frustrating and hurtful than they need to be. As quickly as the...

Does Leadership Still Matter?

With crowdsourced decision-making growing in popularity, well-known companies creating self-managed teams with no managers, and technology that makes communication simple, it’s time to ask, “does leadership still matter?” In Good to Great, even Jim Collins questioned...

In Search of Discomfort

I think I’ve stumbled upon an unlikely ally in this journey of life. As I look back, it’s been supporting me for decades, but I didn’t always recognize it. And now, as I seek it out more frequently, its assistance is even more powerful. This unlikely friend is...

Invisible Rust

When metal corrodes, it’s obvious. The tiny speckles of brownish-orange emerge, growing larger over time, and eventually prohibiting any movement. When habits or skills erode, the effect is the same, but the warning signs aren’t nearly as visible. As...