Organizational wins hinge on middle managers. They stand between talk and action. Their success usually signals organizational success.
I’m accountable for results but don’t have the authority to make decisions.
Top brass pulls one way. Front-line employees pull the other.
Senior leaders get the credit; we get the blame.
No one wakes hoping for a meaningless life. But triviality is seductive.
You don’t have to wear a scowl. You do need courage to confront triviality.
Triviality says, “Stay busy.”
Busyness hides aimlessness. Motion fakes direction.
Hustle isn’t all bad. But it’s not a destination.
MORE…
Too many leaders are too serious. Show me one who plays, and I’ll show you a team that loves their work.
A mischievous leprechaun lives in our house. He recently put a sweet potato in my coffee cup.
You can’t mandate fun. But employees in fun environments are 3X more likely to report well-being.
Robert Frost was condemning fences when he wrote Mending Wall.
The most famous line in the poem reads, “Good fences make good neighbors.” But Frost didn’t say those words, his ignorant neighbor did.
The first line of the poem reads: “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall.”
Not Fences…
Personal behavior isn’t private when you’re a leader.
Andy Byron, CEO of the tech firm Astronomer, and Kristin Cabot, its Chief People Officer, were captured in an embrace on a Coldplay “kiss cam” (July 16, 2025).
A cheater in one area often cheats in others.
Infidelity doesn’t stay in the bedroom. It shows up at work.
During a recent coaching conversation, a leader explained that he’s having 1:3s with senior leaders.
Senior leaders spend too much time in one-on-ones with their team.
Don’t repeat the same thing to several senior leaders. Shrink silos. Reduce confusion. 1:3s focus on future-building.
How to host 1:3s…
