Who showed up today?

There’s a moment in almost every leadership meeting I sit in. Someone leans forward, as if about to speak, and then leans back. I’ve learned to watch for it. What happens in that half-second is rarely about the idea. It’s a calculation. Will this...

The only certain tense

In almost every planning session, there’s a moment when the energy lifts. It’s when the conversation turns to the future. The big goal. The three-year picture. The number that would change everything. People lean in. The whiteboard fills up. I understand...

Words are receipts

Listen to what people talk about. Vision talks about worlds. Small talk talks about who. The size of someone’s dreams leaks out in their sentences. Are they one of greatness or trivial pettiness? Words are the receipt. The soul already paid the bill....

Untried isn’t the same as unloved

I used to think “do what you love” was permission. Now I think it’s often an excuse. I didn’t love coaching until I tried it scared. I didn’t love writing until I forced myself onto the page. Comfort wears love’s clothes well. If I...

Believing in the wrong voice too long

I’ve caught myself doing it mid-conversation. Someone pays me a compliment, genuine, specific, and I’m already building the rebuttal in my head before they’ve finished the sentence. That’s not humility. I used to think it was. It’s just a...