“You win some, you lose some.” I really hate that phrase. I hate it because losing feels lousy; I want to succeed, perform, and win. At the same time, if my standard is that I have to always win, if I can never have an off day, or misjudge a situation, or stick my foot…
A few years ago I planted 20 raspberry vines. The person who sold them to me told me not to expect berries the first year. They need to root the first year. Fair enough. The second year I did get some berries. My total yield that year was less than a pint from 20 plants!…
Leaders are always asking me, “Brad, how do I find time to do the really important work? When do I get to think, or look at what’s next? I spend all my time trying to keep the wheels on the bus and the clients happy.” I think of one of my very first clients whenever…
I’ve been having conversations with leaders about how increasing uncertainty is impacting their leadership practices. One conversation with the head of development at a local social services agency stood out as markedly different from the responses I got from for-profit leaders. I heard lots of for-profit leaders talk about shifting toward short-term planning practices: quarterly “rocks”…
During the first four months of this year, I was very focused on a new business playbook to front-load my client creation for 2026. That focus was partly driven by fear. The relative calm of late 2025 felt fleeting – who knows what is right around the corner. I wanted to secure some new work…
In smooth seas, the Captain isn’t on deck. But when there’s a storm or an enemy ship on the horizon, they leap to the bridge and take charge. We don’t need leaders to help us keep things the same. That’s what managers do! Leadership is needed most in the unknown, when the stakes are high…
Lately, I’ve been living in more gratitude. It could be that I’m reading less news, getting more coaching, and getting outside, but I’ve noticed it showing up everywhere: in my family, my work, my community, even the way my pets want to hang out with me. Over that same time period, my business has been…
I’ve been subjected to a lot of team-building exercises. Trust falls, Lego building contests, finding your “color” and learning what it tells everyone about your personality, even a drum circle, and a croquet tournament. Some of these were “fun,” I learned from others, but I’m not sure any had as much impact as the time…
I was talking to a CEO last week, and the story she told me fit a pattern I’ve been thinking about. She had been running her business for about 7 years. During that time, she found a niche, got focused on it, and the business grew. She’s now at the point where she understands the…
For about 5 years I was a solo parent of 3 school aged kids. During that same period I was starting my consulting business. It was a busy time! I spent a tremendous percentage of my of time feeling like I was behind, under resourced, and generally failing. This was not a situation that cultivates…