I used to think micro-managing, dictatorial stage moms were some of the worst people on the planet… Until I became one. My son, Zion, was confirmed at our church on Easter Sunday. To prepare, I bought him a new suit jacket, white shirt, and black pants.I let him borrow one of my ties.I even helped…
Even though it’s Easter weekend—a time often associated with renewal and reflection—it’s also a good time to pause and give thanks. Last weekend, I drove my son up north to Traverse City for a spring break camp. Before we left, I made what felt like a logical decision at the time: I removed the shovel…
I read to over 100 preschoolers and kindergarteners recently. It might have been the most important leadership moment I’ve had all year. A few months ago, I wrote about burnout and the importance of choosing joy on purpose. In that post, I mentioned something small that stayed with me: Reading to preschoolers during March’s Reading…
I lost every case to Encyclopedia Brown. Not once did I solve the mystery before he did. For many people my age, our first detectives weren’t Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot. They were Columbo.They were Scooby-Doo. And there was a ten-year-old boy named Leroy Brown—better known as Encyclopedia Brown. In honor of National Reading Month,…
This weekend, I realized I was doing everything right… and still getting it wrong. I thought my son was having a great weekend. He had snow days, spent time with a friend, and settled in to watch Marvel movies. Meanwhile, I was doing what I usually do — catching up on laundry, finishing doctoral work,…
Burnout is not a badge of honor…and it’s not a prerequisite for good leadership. One of the best decisions I made in 2025 was taking an Organizational Behavior class this summer. I was already a fan of the professor, and I was especially intrigued by the course focus: the critical role employee wellbeing plays in…
Last week, a news story took me back to 1977. I was in Mrs. Grossman’s class in the first grade. It was time for art, and I was drawing superheroes and GI Joe like always. Sitting across from me, James Carr was drawing with absolute joy in his eyes. James was drawing the rock band,…
En 2019, asistí a un Programa de Líderes Emergentes en la Ross Business School de la Universidad de Michigan. Un día, tuvimos un orador invitado, Maxim Sytch, un profesor de Ross. Maxim estaba hablando sobre las primeras impresiones y dijo que los líderes emergentes deberían causar una primera impresión memorable. Debemos “sobrevender la apertura”. La…
Why did John Lennon walk into the Indica Gallery in London in November 1966? Would he have walked into the gallery in 1962 when the Beatles were in their infancy? Would he have walked into the gallery in 1964 when Beatlemania was at its peak? I’m not sure. However, what I can say for sure…
If the Beatles had recorded “Marquee Moon,” it would be on the absolute short list of greatest singles of all-time along with “Like A Rolling Stone,” “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Good Vibrations,” and “A Day In The Life.” Instead, it is just merely in the conversation for one of the best 500 singles of all…