ARTICLES

Years ago, I was called out on a possible water leak. When I arrived, I found that the leak was on the service line between the meter and the house, which meant it was the resident’s responsibility to repair. The resident was a 90-year-old widow, and when I explained that, she told me she simply did not have the money to fix it. After talking with her for a while, I told her that if she could get some neighbors to help dig up the line, I would come back and make the repair. S

Abraham Lincoln is one of the clearest examples I know of what it looks like when a leader grows, learns, and keeps people at the center of the work. I have written before about the idea that organizations are built around people, and that leaders must shine a LIGHT on what helps people thrive: Love, Interpersonal Relationships, Growth, Happiness and Health, and Toxicity. Lincoln gives us a powerful historical example of that same truth. One thing I have always admired about

I once met with an employee who, at the time, was considered a top performer. Their results looked strong on paper, but there was a deeper problem. They rarely collaborated, often complained that teammates were “lazy,” and struggled to work well with the people around them. During that conversation, I was direct: “You need to become part of the team. If you don’t want to do that, then I don’t want you here, and I’d even be willing to help you find another job.” That employee

My wife and I were the general contractors and built our own home. It was an overall great decision for us: we got exactly the house we wanted, without having to pick from a standard plan book or settle for something that was “close enough.” But I’ll never forget the day we went to look for tile for our bathrooms. We hit no fewer than five tile stores. By the end of the afternoon, our phones were packed with dozens of photos, and honestly, it all started to blur. I couldn’t r

When people join an organization, they are not just looking for a job. They are looking for an experience. That is true in work just as it is in travel, dining, or entertainment. When someone goes on vacation, out to dinner, or to a movie, they are not only paying for the service itself. They are paying for the feeling, the memory, and the human experience that comes with it. People are no different when they join an organization. They want to feel welcomed, known, valued, an

One of the great truths I have come to believe is that small, consistent effort compounds into something extraordinary. This is true in money, in habits, in leadership, in families, and in organizations. It is also true in sports. At first, the gains are so small that most people miss them. But over time, those small gains stack on top of one another until the difference becomes impossible to ignore. That is the power of compounding. I like to think about it through a simple

Great organizations do not happen by accident. They are built by leaders who understand that culture, systems, accountability, and people all matter. In my experience, when organizations drift, it rarely happens all at once. It happens slowly, through habits, assumptions, and blind spots that weaken the organization from the inside. That is why I believe one of the most important leadership questions is not just what creates greatness, but what quietly destroys it. There are

One of the biggest communication mistakes I have made in my career is assumption. I have assumed people knew what I meant. I have assumed leaders understood the problems I was seeing. I have assumed employees understood the bigger picture. And if I am being honest, I have assumed far more often than I ever should have. That is what makes assumption so dangerous in communication. It rarely shows up as arrogance. More often, it shows up as efficiency. We think we are saving tim

Organizations spend a tremendous amount of time and money training employees for skills. They analyze performance, track key metrics, and prioritize results. Those things matter, of course — but one question rarely gets asked: What kind of experience are our people actually having at work? When most people join an organization, they’re looking for financial stability, benefits, and career development. But those are only part of the equation. Deep down, we’re all searching for

Last week, my nine-year-old son and I were at the baseball field doing what we call “dirt work.” I was hitting him ground balls, and he was throwing to first. We’ve done this hundreds of times, and he’s a very good fielder. But even the best fielders make mistakes — it’s part of the game. I hit one that took a few low bounces before a late high hop popped him right in the nose. Blood gushed everywhere. He started to cry, not just from the pain, but because he felt bad that he

When most leaders talk about their people, they start at the edges. They brag about their Unicorns—the rare ones who light up the room and pull everyone forward. They complain about their Rotten Apples—the anchors who fight everything and poison the well. But almost nobody talks about the middle. You know the ones. They show up. They get their work done. They don’t complain. They don’t ask for anything. They don’t create drama or demand a spotlight. If you’re not careful, the

For more than a century, most organizations have been built on a command-and-control mindset: leaders issue orders, workers comply, and success is measured by efficiency and obedience. Yet people have changed, work has changed, and expectations have changed. Today, most employees want what you and I want—control over their work, room to grow, and leaders who trust them enough to let them think, not just execute. A Brief History of Command and Control Command and control did n

In a planetary gear system, the carrier is the quiet hero—connecting sun gear, planet gears, and ring gear so everything turns in harmony. Communication plays that same role in organizations. It's not flashy, but without it, even the best strategies grind to a halt. I've spent years refining and trying to figure out better ways for teams to communicate. After countless morning huddles, one-on-one check-ins, and hard conversations, three principles emerged—what I call the 3 P'

I’ll be honest: a big part of me feels like I’m the wrong person to write about this. But that discomfort is the reason I am writing this. I’m not a therapist. I don’t have letters after my name. I still feel a little clumsy even using the word “suicide” in a conversation. But I’ve also noticed something over the years: almost everyone feels that way. Most people are uncomfortable talking about mental health and suicide, especially at work. And that might be the biggest reaso

If you want people to do their best work, you have to get the environment right long before you talk about motivation, culture, or performance. S.P.A.C.E. is a simple way to remember the five essentials leaders must design on purpose—not leave to chance. When these five areas are solid, people stop burning energy just trying to survive the workday and start investing their best effort into the mission. S – Safety Safety is the promise that everyone goes home at the end of the

Leadership doesn’t grow from stone pillars—it grows from living roots. Before you can lead any system, you have to cultivate the six roots of leadership within yourself. These aren’t tactics or management tricks. They’re the inner disciplines, quiet decisions, and daily reps that make everything else possible. Picture a tree: the underground roots anchor the trunk—you, the leader—and feed the canopy above—your team and organization. The stronger the roots, the higher the grow

We love to say, “A rising tide lifts all boats.” When one person or team levels up, their example can lift everyone around them. I’ve seen that over and over in organizations: good ideas and strong cultures are contagious. But there’s another side of that tide we don’t talk about enough. Sometimes the water doesn’t rise. Sometimes it drains. One person with low standards, low energy, or toxic behavior quietly lowers the tide for everyone around them. Proximity Cuts Both Ways

The Leader's Living Tree—that's you—thrives through every season, deepens roots, drops seeds that grow new forests. Leadership isn't a destination. It's a living legacy that comes alive through connection with others. Roots: Six Foundations Spreading Underground Leadership grows from six living roots: Identity, Model the Greats, Self-Mastery, Relationships, Impact over Position, Practice. These spread beneath the surface—inner mindset and daily disciplines that anchor your tr

Your supervisors avoiding hard conversations is not a minor leadership flaw; it’s the most common management mistake and the one that quietly does the most damage. The mistake usually isn’t saying the wrong thing—it’s doing nothing and hoping the problem will sort itself out. The most common mistake: doing nothing One of the best bosses ever told me, “The most common management mistake is doing nothing,” and, if being honest, that has probably been my biggest mistake too. Whe

The future of leadership in government isn’t about choosing between efficiency and culture—it’s about building systems that deliver both, relentlessly moving us forward while keeping our team strong and connected. Jim Collins nails this in Good to Great, where Level 5 leaders confront brutal facts—like our reactive firefighting—while maintaining unwavering faith in the endgame: sustainable progress through disciplined systems, not just hustle. Cities I’ve worked with often ex