On The Syrian Refugees, Muslims, and Fear
It’s been almost three weeks since the Paris attacks and it’s taken me that long to find my courage and address it publicly. This isn't because I’m afraid of terrorist retaliation, but because I know some of you out there will disagree with me. But if I sit in fear of...
The Unexpected Connection Between Leadership & Travel
Daniel J. Boorstin said, "The traveler is active; he goes strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience. The tourist is passive; he expects interesting things to happen to him. He goes "sightseeing." Perhaps this is also the key not only to travel, but...
Leadership In Action: Saving Lives
An eighth-grade girl in Portland read a book about the families in South Sudan who are in desperate need of clean water. This girl was moved to tears, and then to action. Women and children, she learned, walk for miles to retrieve dirty water from mud puddles;...
Our Knee-Jerk Reactions
How often to you pause before you react? Last week we talked about the problem with knee-jerk reactions in the media. But what about our knee-jerk reactions to the media? We live in a world where we can react instantly and anonymously on social media to anything that...
An Epic Failure To Lead
Lets face it: the media's coverage of our current political environment is no example of leadership. It's an example of pandering, sensationalism and knee-jerk reactions designed to steal moments and confuse issues. Maybe it's just me, but the very people deemed...
The Moral Imperative Of Leadership
Are you feeling courageous? Neal Diamond once said if you really want to write meaningful music, you need only look at your own life and into your own heart. What follows is part of my meaningful music. I've recently been asking myself if there is a moral imperative...
The Two-Step Process to Successful Thinking
Last week, I wrote about how deeply your beliefs about yourself affect your choices. But how on earth can we take control and actually change those deep-seated beliefs? Believe it or not, it's a simple two-step process you'll use on repeat. Want to know what it is?...
Evidence Vs. Reality
Our deep-rooted beliefs, especially beliefs about ourselves, are based on evidence--that's why it's so hard for anyone to change what they believe. The fact that we often base any given belief on false evidence is completely irrelevant. We get enough bad grades on...
I Can’t Make Just Anyone Into A Leader
As a leadership coach I have to admit a secret: I can’t make anyone a leader. But the reason may not be what you're thinking. There’s an old expression that says you can’t make chicken soup out of chicken poop (although it traditionally uses a different four letter...
Authenticity: Not Permission to Be A Jerk
Fair enough. But isn’t it just fake and inauthentic to pretend you’re happy or cheerful when in fact--you don’t feel that way? Last week I talked about how we all have the power to choose our perspective, every day. We can all choose how we are going to interact...
