Stone Circle

At the Earth Sanctuary on Whidbey Island there is a stone circle. It is a modern interpretation of the ancient structures that dot the northern European landscape, about which little of certainty is known. It’s safe to say they were communal structures that served to bind groups together as central gathering places for social rituals,

“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

Poem for a Sunday Morning

A Small Needful Fact {Ross Gay} Is that Eric Garner worked for some time for the Parks and Rec. Horticultural Department, which means, perhaps, that with his very large hands, perhaps, in all likelihood, he put gently into the earth some plants which, most likely, some of them, in all likelihood, continue to grow, continue

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

‘Essential’ is a Choice

Most of us don’t meet the government’s definition of “essential” when it comes to working the front lines of the response to the novel corona virus. Most of us, that is, are deemed “non-essential.” And we who are “non-essential” have been given a very short and manageable to-do list: wash your hands, stay at home

#46 – A Living System is a Learning System

“In biology, living and learning are synonyms, indistinguishable processes that keep life growing and moving forward. A living system is a learning system.”  – Margaret Wheatley, “Who Do We Choose to Be?” Living and learning are inextricably linked. You can’t live if you can’t learn. You can’t grow, you can’t fulfill, you can’t become, you can’t

#45 – Integrity

“The more coherent one becomes within oneself as a creature, the more one fully enters into the communion of all creatures.” {Wendell Berry} When my daughter was in elementary school one of her classrooms had the following sign over the door: THE DOOR OF INTEGRITY: I am responsible for everything I think, say, do and

#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

#42 – Common Sense

Common sense leadership practices in times of crisis: Take care of yourself. Take care of your team. Trust your values. Trust your strengths. Ask for help. Learn. Share your learning. Today is a good day to turn each of these into a question and to assess how you’re doing: How have I taken care of

#41 – Change Ready

I believe that both leadership failures and leadership successes can be traced to a common question: has the leader done his or her internal work? That work – the decision to diminish the influence of one’s past experience on one’s present behaviors – always precedes external awareness. It always precedes one’s ability to remain rooted