Hi Reader, Many organizations desire to be more innovative. They wish they had more people bringing forward new ideas, solving problems creatively, and finding better ways to serve customers and clients and advance the mission and strategic goals It's usually not for a lack of good ideas. When teams struggle to bring new ideas to life, it's usually a conditions problem. It usually goes something like this: someone identifies an opportunity and brings forward a new idea. The team likes it, but...
10 days ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, I’ve realized recently that our team adopted an accidental agreement we never actually discussed. Joe calls it: Slack Zero. Anybody who has ever been in a Zoom meeting with me and caught a glimpse of my inbox usually gasps. I am absolutely not an Inbox Zero person. But Slack? Completely different story. Without ever formally talking about it, our team collectively drifted toward a norm where Slack messages get answered almost immediately. This norm came from a good place – we all...
17 days ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, If you haven’t seen Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat, the premise is pretty ridiculous. One real person, Anthony, believes he’s attending a legitimate company retreat for a hot sauce company. Everyone else around him is an actor, and the entire environment is staged to create increasingly awkward and absurd situations. But somewhere in the middle of all the chaos and comedy, you unexpectedly get a picture of what a truly great teammate looks like. What makes Anthony so...
24 days ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, We go to great lengths to find the right people for key leadership roles. Unfortunately, after all that effort, new leaders often step into team dynamics that limit their ability to offer the fullness of their experience and unique gifts. Sometimes it's because teammates don’t intentionally try to connect with them. Other times it's because their new teammates think it's solely up to the CEO to integrate them into the team. From the perspective of the new teammate, they are often...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, There’s a moment in an episode of Bluey called The Pool where Bluey’s dad forgets to bring all the “boring” pool gear—sunscreen, towels, goggles, floaties, snacks. The things that feel unnecessary in the moment as the kids just want to get to the pool as fast as possible. At first, the kids are thrilled. Dad seems more fun and isn’t worrying about a checklist of things they need to complete. But pretty quickly, the experience starts falling apart. The concrete is too hot. The sun...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
Hi Reader, At this point, the data is hard to ignore. Research from organizations like the Center for Creative Leadership and Harvard Business Review continues to point to the same conclusion: organizations with high-performing executive teams significantly outperform those without them. They see stronger execution, healthier cultures, and better long-term results. And yet, only a small percentage of executive teams are actually operating at that level. One reason is surprisingly simple: many...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
Hi Reader, The success of the Artemis II mission is remarkable. It reflects years of innovation, coordination, and progress toward something that once again feels just beyond our reach. But what stood out most wasn’t just what they accomplished. It was how they prepared. This wasn’t just a group of capable individuals. It was a team that had been preparing to operate together long before launch. Too often, we focus on individual development and growth, hoping it will translate into better...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, Each year, Gallup releases its State of the Global Workplace report, offering a clear look at how people are experiencing work. This year’s report surfaces a trend that should give leaders pause. Overall engagement hit its lowest point since 2020, but more concerning is where that decline is happening. Managers, the very group organizations rely on most to drive engagement, are experiencing the most significant decline. Gallup has led the way in helping organizations to understand...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, In 1944, the Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency, published a document called the Simple Sabotage Field Manual. It was not written for trained operatives, but for ordinary citizens living in enemy-controlled territories during World War II. The goal was to help everyday people disrupt organizations from the inside. Rather than relying on dramatic acts of destruction, the manual focused on small, consistent behaviors that would quietly...
2 months ago • 4 min read