What is Thanksgiving Leadership?

While the Thanksgiving holiday here in the US has a controversial history and our cultural retelling of it is inaccurate, the traditional Thanksgiving meal can help us reflect on how we lead others. So this week, as we approach the holiday, we’ll partake in our own annual tradition of revisiting the ideas of Banquet Leadership, Potluck Leadership, andContinue reading “What is Thanksgiving Leadership?”

Rewinding “Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years?”

Have you been on either side of a job interview recently? As mentioned last week, job interviews don’t always show the candidate at their best or most authentic; heightened stress and excitement often lead to a situation where both sides need to sift through what was said to get to find out if this isContinue reading “Rewinding “Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years?””

Are Your Meetings Lectures, Show-and-Tells, or Labs?

How many meetings have you attended in the last few weeks? How many have you led? If you lead meetings, how did you learn to lead them? By emulating the meetings you’ve attended? Employees who are high performing often get promoted to management without any training in how to manage others – and, as aContinue reading “Are Your Meetings Lectures, Show-and-Tells, or Labs?”

Mosaics, Not Melting Pots

I’m writing this from the window seat of a red eye flight, following a work retreat in Hawai’i, on the island of O’ahu. This was my first time in the state, and I was struck by the vibrancy and beauty of Polynesian culture that stands proud long after American and European businessmen overthrew the monarchyContinue reading “Mosaics, Not Melting Pots”

Flying in a V Formation During Turbulent Times

How are your teams and communities doing at the moment? In the last few weeks, I’ve heard multiple experiences of painful fractures within groups who have historically been supportive and unified. If this is true for you, take heart that you’re not alone – if it’s helpful to consider it within the larger cultural contextContinue reading “Flying in a V Formation During Turbulent Times”

A Real-Life Takeaway from Recent Events

What’s something you’ve heard a colleague or co-worker say recently that has impressed you – or maybe even inspired you? What are some small actions you’ve seen someone take – maybe someone in customer service – that have left you feeling just a little brighter about your day? In the last couple of weeks thereContinue reading “A Real-Life Takeaway from Recent Events”

“There is No Such Thing as a Safe Space”

In the days since the killing of Charlie Kirk (and its widespread viewing on social media) – as well as the clear differences in the messages people took from his words prompting discussions about context and the algorithms we’re all subject to – this seemed like a good week to revisit this Building Bridges LeadershipContinue reading ““There is No Such Thing as a Safe Space””

The Popsicle Hotline

What is the Popsicle Hotline? And what might it offer us as we think about our work, both with external clients and internal colleagues? The Magic Castle Hotel in Los Angeles has found a way to stand out from the crowd of a busy LA hotel scene. It’s not an upscale hotel by any means,Continue reading “The Popsicle Hotline”

How to be a Lighthouse Manager

Are you familiar with the idea of helicopter parenting? The stereotype is that Helicopter Parents hover around their child, checking up on them and regularly swooping in to solve their problems. If you’re a parent, perhaps you even recognize this in yourself – especially with your first child, this is a very common trait. But,Continue reading “How to be a Lighthouse Manager”

What are Matching & Mirroring?

How often have you been with a close friend or family member and noticed after a while that you are sitting with the same posture, and matching each other’s tone as you talk? Do you notice this in others when you see best friends getting coffee together? Such behavior is often simply thought of asContinue reading “What are Matching & Mirroring?”