Fuel or friction?

Last week I went to my 30-year business school reunion (How is that even possible?!) My time at Kellogg was one of the best chapters of my life, and it was amazing to reconnect with so many classmates. One of the highlights was sitting in on a class with Professors Loran Nordgren and David Schonthal, […]

Your Great Human Leader roadmap

Last week I told you about the three kinds of leaders—The “It’s All Good” Leader (aka non-intentional), The “Perfect” Leader (aka a bit robotic), and The Great Human Leader (aka the right amount of messy!). Today I want to tell you how to become a great human leader. But first let’s review what a great […]

The 3 kinds of leaders

Last week I wrote about how to bring your messy to work. Looks like the idea hit home! Here are some of the responses I received:  So, how do we become a Great Human Leader who leads with the “right” amount of messy? Having interviewed hundreds of leaders—before, during, and after the pandemic—three kinds of […]

THE GREAT HUMAN LEADER COHORT IS LIVE!

Great news! Enrollment for the Great Human Leader spring cohort is now open! Here’s a quick reminder about his cohort: If you’re a manager who is feeling overwhelmed by your workload, stressed-out by all this new tech, worried about your team’s engagement, or still trying to figure out how to lead in a hybrid world, […]

People won’t stay and that’s okay

A leader named Chris recently shared with me that he hired a great 24 year old named Damian into a coordinator position, and he was “crushing it.” Chris went on to say that unfortunately, Damian had told him that it was a job he would probably only stay at for a year or two as […]

It’s a big day for managers

Happy (if you can call it that) Election Day. I hope you have a chance to exercise your right to vote today. As you know this political season is especially turbulent. It can be an incredibly challenging time for managers, with so many emotions running high.  So what can you do?  A great human leader […]

turkey, cheese, or roast beef?

Last week I got two texts at literally the same moment. One from my father who had just had back surgery and was moving into rehab and the other from my daughter who had just been diagnosed with three strains of E. coli. Where she got it is anyone’s guess?? I took a deep breath and […]

This back-to-school season is going to be different

This back-to-school season is going to be different. Why? Because of the concerted effort to ban phones in school districts across the nation. I had to hear about this for myself, so I asked my friend’s son at dinner last week. Their son is a junior in high school and he loves his tech—Xbox, phone, computer, you name it […]

What happened before you were 12?

Danny Meyer, founder and executive chairman of Union Square Hospitality Group and author of Setting the Table is a great human leader who I interviewed for my first book, Bring Your Human to Work. I heard him recently on Adam Grant’s podcast, WorkLife (which is great, if you haven’t listened to it!) talking about how he interviews potential candidates, and I’m […]

But WHY are we working?

I recently read a book that I couldn’t put down—a mighty high bar for a business book! The book is Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect by Will Guidara. Here’s a taste of what I loved about it: “When I encounter someone who thinks their work doesn’t matter, it’s usually […]