collaboration

You’ve heard me say it before, and I’ll say it again… “We shouldn’t put people in boxes (not physically and not metaphorically).” It’s totally unfair to assume that just because someone demonstrates several of the tendencies common to a person who fits in “Box A” that means they permanently and in all other ways belong in “Box A”.

A good friend and fellow leader told me a story today of the rush that he felt as he watched his team come together to work towards a common good.

I am struck with how many times we seem to demand perfection of ourselves or of those around us. It’s as if in our haste to make things excellent, we forget that perfection is a direction not a destination. And then we, as fallen human beings, will continue to make mistakes day after day. When we demand perfection of someone else, we are setting an expectation that is unachievable. When we...

So recently, while driving, I passed a billboard sign for a nearby university that had a picture of a keyboard with a chat bubble coming out of it. The words in the chat bubble were “be a leader.” While the ad is eye-catching, and perhaps pithy, I take issue with the concept it conveys and the potential misrepresentation of leadership.

One. Does. Not. Lead. From. A. Computer.

Looking around at media, social media, workplace conversations, dinner table talk, and the arts and entertainment industry, I fear it’s getting dark.  We have become so very judgmental, it’s almost terrifying.

I started reading relationship books when I was in middle school. I know it’s not your typical middle schooler reading, but I wanted to learn about how to cultivate positive relationships. Since that time, I have had many a conversation with friends about defining the relationship (DTR). Defining the relationship is a process that the people in a relationship undergo to ensure that all parties...

Spoiler alert: yes.

There have been a number of things going on in our society and in our various workplaces recently that are challenging some pretty foundational assumptions we have about ourselves and other people.