What do we do when others aren’t as responsive or committed to deadlines as we are? We can't control how quickly everyone responds, but we can create greater clarity around what we're asking, when we need it, and what happens next.

While we can't prepare for every situation and we don't want to create policies for random one-off scenarios, we can equip and empower people to navigate what arises—through knowledge, tools, resources, escalation paths, and in this case, having the right type of key in the box behind the front desk. 

Peace is more than the absence of war; it is the foundation necessary to collectively tackle humanity's challenges. It is the lived experience of safety, dignity, opportunities and cooperation in our daily lives.”

The truth I've been sitting with is: hard conversations are, indeed, hard. 

A conversation involves more than one person, along with a million other factors: what is happening in each person's life, the environment, timing, mood, mental and emotional capacity, and everything else each person brings into the room.

September is a great time of year to take a quick pause and reflect on what we want the rest of the year to look like, to consider what matters and how we can create more ease this fall, and to potentially take a few small steps that will help us avoid the all-out-sprint toward the end of the year. 

What if legacy is, ultimately, leaning into goodness over and over again? 

Communication during change, challenge, or crisis isn't simply information transfer; it's an act of helping people orient themselves to the moment before them. 

Everyone is carrying something in their metaphorical (and this time, literal) backpacks. 

While sitting in a meeting, or boarding a plane, or joining a call, we all have things in our backpacks that we are carrying, which may not be known or understood by the people around us. 

Let July be July. Let August be August.
and let yourself just be even in the uncertainty.
You don't have to fix everything.
You don't have to solve everything.

Managing people, especially at the middle manager level, does often equate to more stress and more problems.

But it doesn't have to be this way. 

Sometimes the most delightful conversations aren't planned, and they make me wonder: Where might we create just a little more room for serendipity this week?

Where might we slow down, step aside, offer encouragement, or simply give someone else the right of way?

Getting clear on why we are doing what we are doing before we jump into action.

a single coffee shop has the potential to transform the feeling of a city, just as a single leader has the potential to transform the feeling of a company or a team. 

What's on your list for the summer?

And, how are you currently embracing the energy of July? 

It's often palpable when we experience this type of pride of ownership —whether from the restroom attendant who cares about making everything sparkly, or a seat that was saved just for us, or a dinner prepared by hand and served to just a handful of tables behind a hidden door. 

We don't need to practice friction-maxxing for everything, but we might want to practice it for some things —specifically things that align with our values and priorities.

Sparking a feeling of joy does not need to be complicated, time intensive, or expensive.

Sometimes the most satisfying moments are not the biggest accomplishments or the largest projects, but the ones where we can clearly see the impact of our efforts. 

As leaders we can take a moment to notice, remember, acknowledge, and appreciate.