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 “Applying the Banquet, Potluck, and Thanksgiving Models of Leadership”
Category Archives: Culture
Building Bridges through Serious Play
Last Wednesday morning – about 90 minutes after the Presidential election results were announced – two colleagues and I opened an in-person two-day corporate retreat for 48 senior leaders from around the country and elsewhere in the world. If you read the last few Building Bridges Leadership articles, you won’t be surprised to know thatContinue reading “Building Bridges through Serious Play”
Embracing the “Liminal Space” of Election Day
Next Tuesday – Election Day here in the US – you might find yourself experiencing similar feelings to those seemingly-endless moments following the slow climb of a roller coaster: a mixture of terror, anxiety and guarded excitement as you wonder what’s going to happen next. And if this election follows the pattern set by the 2020 election,Continue reading “Embracing the “Liminal Space” of Election Day”
Busyness – The Toxic Badge of Honor
When someone asks how you are, does your mind instantly bring to mind the word “busy”? If so, you’re not alone. Busyness is a constant feeling in so many of our lives. Indeed, it’s a vortex that we seem to get sucked down into more with every passing season. For a small number of us,Continue reading “Busyness – The Toxic Badge of Honor”
Bridging Differences through Food
Have you ever made a new friend over a meal? Perhaps at an event – like a wedding, a banquet, or party where you didn’t necessarily get to choose who you were sitting next to? Whether that interaction turned into an ongoing long-term friendship or not, did you find that over the course of eatingContinue reading “Bridging Differences through Food”
Planning for the Day After Election Day
At the time of writing, it’s just over a month until Election Day here in the US. Wherever you are in the world, I wonder how you feel when you think about that. Apprehensive? Hopeful? Determined? A lot of work goes into Election Day – from poll workers to candidates, from the town level toContinue reading “Planning for the Day After Election Day”
Workplace Empathy in the New Academic Year
How does the beginning of a new academic year affect you? Even if you don’t have children or work in academia yourself, it might be impacting you more than you realize. If you have children of any age – or if you are a student or an educator yourself – the beginning of a newContinue reading “Workplace Empathy in the New Academic Year”
Taking Time Off Work? Here’s a Challenge: Don’t Work!
How often have you found yourself checking your work email while on vacation? Or still holding your weekly check-in meetings, even on a day off? Whether it’s a break of a few weeks, or a weekly routine of long weekends, many of us take vacation time during the Summer. But how many of are reallyContinue reading “Taking Time Off Work? Here’s a Challenge: Don’t Work!”
“Ubuntu” and Connection Before Content
Last week, I led a team building program for a group of international students on the first full day of their summer together. I lead a hundred or more programs like this each year, but it quickly became apparent that this one was special. The group was joyful, engaged, and excited about the time theyContinue reading ““Ubuntu” and Connection Before Content”
How is Your Team Like a Fireworks Display?
In honor of this week’s Independence Day celebrations in the United States and in Canada, we are revisiting this article, originally posted in 2021: If you live in the United States or Canada, you’ll have the chance to see fireworks at some point this week – in person or on a broadcast. If you’re anythingContinue reading “How is Your Team Like a Fireworks Display?”
Building Bridges Leadership 