May 19, 2026 · 9 min read

What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

Most managers who become directors keep doing the thing that made them good managers. That’s the problem. The skills that earned you the role are not the skills that will let you lead in it.

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Apr 22, 2026 · 3 min read

What Island Health Taught Me About Culture

Real culture doesn't stay in the mission statement. It shows up in 10-minute interactions with strangers.

My 14-year-old was in surgery last month. I walked in ready to manage expectations — just get through it. What happened instead was a masterclass in culture. Not the kind on a wall. The kind that shows up at 4pm on a Tuesday with a stranger who’s worried and didn’t schedule the emergency.

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Mar 18, 2026 · 3 min read

We’re Not All in the Same Boat

During transitions, people don't need their leader to be in the same boat. They need an honest captain.

I listened to a leader say "We're all in the same boat here." He meant to connect. I immediately tightened. Everyone in the room knew it wasn't quite true, and once you feel that gap, trust in the messenger starts to slip.

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Mar 3, 2026 · 3 min read

The Conversation You’re Avoiding

Kindness matters. But small talk does not equal kindness.

When you need to address a performance issue, don't open with "Hey, I just wanted to check in." It seems friendly. It isn't. The desire to reduce anxiety is often the very thing that increases it.

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Feb 24, 2026 · 5 min read

Four Global Leadership Emerging Trends

The leaders who will thrive won’t use AI as an email editor — they’ll integrate it as a team member. Four global trends reshaping how we lead, and what each one asks of you.

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Feb 5, 2026 · 3 min read

The Nondescript Wednesday

The pressure we're under as leaders always comes out somewhere. The question is where.

I once told my team that what I was most looking forward to was a nondescript Wednesday in the fall. A day I'd come in, do a normal day's work, go home. Nothing would happen. No crisis. Just a regular day. That fall turned out to be a mess. But the moment stuck with me.

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Jan 27, 2026 · 3 min read

If It Ain’t Broke

Stability isn't always a sign of health. Sometimes it's a sign of stuck.

Nothing was really broken — but change simply hadn't been on the table for years. That kind of perpetual sameness starts to wear a place down. It has a name. And your most motivated team members are already feeling it.

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Jan 15, 2026 · 3 min read

The Three-Legged Stool

Titles can't make a leader. But at certain moments, titles protect them.

A colleague of mine was being asked to deliver results without the formal authority to require them. It's a common kind of leadership strain, and it has a structure. Remove one leg and things start to wobble.

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Dec 12, 2025 · 3 min read

The Daily Heroic Multitasking Trap

Mission-driven leaders get celebrated for doing everything. That's starting to look like a trap.

Most nonprofit leaders I know hold two or three jobs inside one role. That creativity is vital to the sector. But being celebrated for daily heroics can trick us into thinking that everything should require daily heroics.

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