leadership dots

At one of my “nothing” lunches with friends this week, the conversation started with youth sports and morphed into a discussion of baseball bats. To me, a bat is a bat is a bat. Maybe I knew about the distinction between wood and aluminum, but at lunch I learned that there is oh so much more to them. Different lengths, weights, inner cores, and more. And the price! I had no i...

Consistency is a key element of establishing both your personal and professional reputation.

If you want to be known as someone who is on top of things, you not only meet the report deadline, but you also show up on time for the parent-teacher conference. Those trying to be seen as innovative provide creative suggestions in a meeting and also exper...

A sign at the Minute Man National Historical Park is a master class in obtaining actionable feedback. Instead of just asking for comments, the park provided a QR code for visitors to easily make submissions in three areas. The sign reads:

Minute Man National Historical Park belongs to the American people, and the National Park Service wants your feedback. Please...

While it’s important for the leader to have a long-range vision for the organization, it’s also necessary for them to translate it into short-term next steps for those who must implement it.

Think of it as going on a trip. The leader must know the destination and the planned route to get there, but the front-line driver just wants to know whether to turn right or le...

I have been very surprised by the number of people who applauded my decision to write dots only on weekdays instead of every.single.day. I really hesitated to do that—feeling like I was letting myself down more than others—but the positive commentary was unforeseen.

I think there is something to learn there—that often, we impose more burden on ourselves than necessa...