Find story-telling inspiration from teachers in your midst
We all have something to teach, and we all have something to learn. I treasure the teachers in my...
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Do leaders need to show they like their job and us?
When someone attains a leadership position – whether in politics or business – we assume they’ve worked hard to achieve that role and are likely being compensated well. Should we expect them to like the job and us? I say yes.
In his new book An Effort to Understand David Murray’s essay “We deserve leaders who act like they like us” caught my attention. We’ve all had the experience of working with or for individuals who look like, sound like and feel like they’d rather be doing almost anything else than leading. It can show up in any number of ways:
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I Miss My Colleagues and the Room Where it Happens
Lamenting this past weekend, I took liberties with Aaron Burr’s line in Hamilton and thought, “I...
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Be Your Own Best Spokesperson – now more than ever
Recently my daughter turned 24 and we discussed the perils and privileges of being an adult. One thing she said struck me: “As an adult, you become your own spokesperson.” She went on to say that as a child or adolescent you find that other people are often speaking for you and interpreting what you say into messaging that may be more socially acceptable or conform to the sensibilities of the situation or even the preferences of the adult present. “What she means to say is…” or “She is attempting to communicate …”
It got me thinking about the world we inhabit right now in which we are flooded with conflicting and contradictory messages from innumerous pundits, experts, authorities, and let’s face it, a fair number of charlatans. In a time when political and social turmoil has reached a fever-pitch and true dialogue has seemed to virtually disappear – how do we find our own voice and become our own best spokesperson?
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Be in the Conversation about Racism – even if it is uncomfortable
Be in the Conversation about Racism – even if it is uncomfortable. I’ve always thought that the problems of the world could be solved if we would just be willing to enter into deep, meaningful conversations about them. The wise Fred Rogers once said, “Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable, is manageable.” We are living through times none of us could have imagined. From the pandemic to racial justice protests to political turmoil – these have left many of us tongue-tied and unsure of how to articulate all that we are thinking and feeling. All of this is compounded by the fact that we are more isolated than ever before and yet communication – conversation – has never been more essential.
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