Shifting the Perspective 

 Volume XXIV, Number 13 (Issue 1164) March 30, 2026  Shifting the Perspective  Bear with me for a moment as I lead you through an exercise on perspective. If you will, take sixty seconds to follow these instructions. Take your right arm, index finger extended and raise it above your head toward the ceiling. Now, start rotating […]

“Meets Expectations” 

Volume XXIV, Number 12 (Issue 1163) March 16, 2026  “Meets Expectations”  Really? People routinely fail to live up to our expectations. Sometimes, it is their fault as they simply choose not to put in the effort. Other times the problem is the bar we set is too high. But much of the time the fault lies […]

“I Have Only Been an Instrument”

Volume XXIV, Number 11 (Issue 1162) March 16, 2026  “I Have Only Been an Instrument”  Abraham Lincoln uttered those words in January 1865. At the time, he could not know that both his life and the Civil War would soon end. Lincoln, of course, was felled by an assassin’s bullet on April 14, 1865, while […]

Be Aware of the Perils of Tunnel Vision 

Volume XXIV, Number 10 (Issue 1171) March 9, 2026  Be Aware of the Perils of Tunnel Vision  How often do you find yourself falling into a pattern of tunnel vision? You know, the all-too-common phenomena of becoming so obsessed with a single path or solution that you can no longer consider an alternative.  It happened to me […]

I Can Do It Myself! 

Volume XXIV, Number 9 (Issue 1170) March 2, 2026  Have you witnessed a young child when they first assert some self-confidence and initial strides at independence with the all too familiar declaration, “I can do it myself!”? Invariably, those early attempts at DIY do not end well. But eventually, with guidance, living examples, and help from […]

Promises Made. Promises Kept? 

Volume XXIV, Number 8 (Issue 1169) February 23, 2026  Promises Made. Promises Kept?  What we do impacts others. Whether it is the care that goes into our work when we are one link in a chain or others are looking to us to make their customer experience better than expected, what we do and the care […]

Peanut Butter? Really? 

Volume XXIV, Number 7 (Issue 1168) February 16, 2026  Peanut Butter? Really?  I stumbled across an article on LinkedIn News last week – it was also addressed in a Korn Ferry publication in recent days – that talked about “peanut butter pay raises.” The peanut butter reference seemed strange, so I read on.  As it turns […]

Community Matters 

Volume XXIV, Number 6 (Issue 1167) February 9, 2026  Community Matters  There was a widower who lived outside of town. Before his wife died, the couple had been active in their community including regulars in their church attendance. But after her passing, the gentleman found it increasingly easy to stay home. He even began skipping Sunday […]

Three D’s, Four W’s – Part II 

Volume XXIV, Number 5 (Issue 1166) February 2, 2026  Three D’s, Four W’s – Part II  In Part I we looked at three critical elements that contribute to the effectiveness of a nonprofit organization’s board, i.e., the right combination of Doers, Donors, and Door Openers. I concluded by stating we would spend this week examining the […]

Three D’s, Four W’s – Part I 

Volume XXIV, Number 4 (Issue 1165) January 26, 2026   Three D’s, Four W’s – Part I  Doers. Donors. Door Openers.  Wealth. Work. Witness. Wisdom.  Both ideal blends.  During my career I have had the incredible honor and distinct pleasure of serving on a variety of boards of directors ranging from business startups to long established […]