“I, too, am America.”

I, Too {Langston Hughes} I, too, sing America. I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes, But I laugh, And eat well, And grow strong. Tomorrow, I’ll be at the table When company comes. Nobody’ll dare Say to me, “Eat in the kitchen,” Then. Besides, They’ll see

Beware the False Dichotomy

I read an article today that talked about the leadership challenge of navigating the difference between “wartime” and “peacetime” leadership. It’s not a valid question because it’s based on a false dichotomy. The distinction between “wartime” and “peacetime” suggests a dualistic, either/or approach to leadership. The discussion centered on working with the intersection of these

#44 – The Greater Good

“Social distancing” “Hunker down” “Self-isolate” “Flatten the curve” I did not plan to include “The Greater Good” on my list of “50 Ideas Worth Fighting For” but it’s never been made more real or more important to fight for it than right now. Yes, it’s possible that we are already too late, that a surge of

#35 – Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously

David Byrne, with his performances of Once in a Lifetime and Toe Jam on Saturday Night Live, shows us how it’s done. (And, if the videos I’ve posted below don’t show up on your device, do a quick search…it’s worth it.) Cool + Fun + Talented + Fearless + Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously =

#12 – Never Be Afraid to Reinvent Yourself

This is #12 in the series, “50 Ideas Worth Fighting For.” I took a new job last fall. I call it a “real” job because after the wonderful variety of  consulting work I’ve done for the last 7 years, as compelling and rewarding as that has been, it feels great to come to an office

Culture

Culture is not mission, vision, values. It is not architecture, design, product or snacks. It is also not the lighting, furniture, games, attire, or flextime. Mistaking any of these things for culture is to confuse the map with the territory. Culture is how you and your colleagues come together to solve problems under the pressure

Poem for a Sunday Morning

I Happened To Be Standing {Mary Oliver} I don’t know where prayers go, or what they do. Do cats pray, while they sleep half-asleep in the sun? Does the opossum pray as it crosses the street? The sunflowers? The old black oak growing older every year? I know I can walk through the world, along

The Side Hustle

My side hustle is teaching a class each semester in the College of Business at Cal State San Marcos. I teach a course in organizational behavior for non-management majors. I do it because I love to teach. I do it because the energy of working with aspirational students is addictive and fulfilling. I do it

Whole People / Whole Lives

The Uses of Sorrow | Mary Oliver (In my sleep I dreamed this poem) Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this, too, was a gift. One of the gifts of a long relationship, in this case I am thinking of my 24 years of

Set Them Free

The small man Builds cages for everyone He Knows. While the sage, Who has to duck his head When the moon is low, Keeps dropping keys all night long For the Beautiful Rowdy Prisoners. ~ Hafiz Today, will you build more cages or drop more keys? The “small” leader needs to control because he feels