About forty years ago, three cousins found themselves with nothing to do and way too much imagination. Two of us were farm kids—used to dirt, danger, and the kind of boredom that breeds creativity. The third was a suburban cousin, visiting for the weekend, wide-eyed and unsuspecting. We were standing near the edge of the yard, just past the barn, when the idea hit me. The electric fence was right there. The opportunity was too perfect. I dared our suburban cousin to pee on it

Let’s stop pretending employee engagement is some mysterious force that ebbs and flows like the tides. It’s not. It’s a mirror — and...

In organizations facing real challenges, a familiar pattern emerges: leaders scramble to show they’re “doing something.” But instead of...

Let’s start with a hard truth: most leadership development programs are still teaching skills that were relevant 20 years ago. Strategic...

Most organizations believe they’re prepared for a leadership change. They’ve got a name on a spreadsheet, maybe a few performance...

In most boardrooms, business planning begins with spreadsheets and ends with compliance checklists. Leadership development? That’s...

Let’s get honest about succession planning. For decades, organizations have poured time, money, and hope into formal plans, mentoring...

Succession planning is often framed as a strategic virtue. It’s the responsible safeguard against disruption, the blueprint for...

Succession planning has become the corporate equivalent of estate planning - well-intentioned, overly formal, and almost entirely...

We’ve all been there. You say something you believe is clear, maybe even thoughtful or constructive. But the reaction you get? Defensive....

In the age of hyper-clarity, bulletproof briefs, and Slack overload, one idea dares to swim upstream: deliberate miscommunication. Yes,...

Let me tell you something I didn’t expect to say this year: a recent kidney stone taught me more about leadership than any offsite, book,...

Take a look at the leadership boards of most organizations — nonprofits, chambers, advisory councils, even corporate boards — and you’ll...

If your customers are asking for empathy, why are you giving them code? Let’s be honest - somewhere along the way, we decided the best...

Why the Quietest Weeks Reveal the Loudest Truths About Leadership It’s the middle of summer. Half your team is out. The office is quiet....

Let’s stop pretending this is about money. If you think throwing bigger paychecks at Millennials and Gen Z will fix your retention...

Let’s get one thing straight: if your brand feels safe, polished, and professional… it’s probably forgettable. In a world where everyone...

For years, we've been told that personalization is the holy grail of customer experience. “Know your customer.” “Make it personal.”...

Let’s cut through the fluff: You’re shaping your workplace culture whether you mean to or not. And it’s not through policies,...

We’ve all heard it: “Culture starts at the top.” And when things go wrong—low morale, disengaged teams, poor customer service—the finger...